[January 12, 1920]

I will transmit your telegram to Trotsky and Krestinsky right away.

2. We will send the reply by separate telegram. Let us know where to address it for you.
Concerning the accelerated movement toward us of the maximum number of locomotives — give this urgent attention and take revolutionary measures.

Lenin

Printed from a telegraph form written in the hand of an unknown person

1 The telegram was written in response to a report from I. N. Smirnov regarding the use of the III Army on economic work; on the dispatch of 100 locomotives from Siberia to Moscow; with an inquiry about the possibility of forming German-Hungarian divisions; with a request to send no less than 3 billion rubles in currency notes. On the telegram V. I. Lenin wrote the following text: "Replied that I would request Trotsky and Krestinsky, will answer by separate telegram. Lenin."
See also Complete Works, vol. 51, p. 116.

In Smirnov's telegram the words concerning the formation of German-Hungarian divisions are underlined and at the bottom Lenin's note appears at that place: "In my opinion, it is necessary" (CPA IML at CC CPSU).

On January 13, a telegram was sent to Omsk in the name of the chairman of the Sibrevkom Smirnov, signed by Lenin and Trotsky, in which it was stated that it would be expedient to form a German-Hungarian division from steady and disciplined elements. The telegram reported on the dispatch of currency notes.

2 N. N. Krestinsky — secretary of the CC RCP(b).

DIRECTIVE TO THE SECRETARY

Send a copy to Sviderskiy with a request to inform me what measures he has taken.

12/1 [1920]

Lenin

1 The directive was written on a telegram from Yekaterinburg addressed to the Metals Division of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, a copy to Lenin. The telegram describes the difficult situation at the Urals plants and mines. The telegram bears a number of Lenin's annotations. "The Kizil mines warn of a threatening possibility of stoppage of work due to the unreliability of the electric station." Lenin marked this text with two vertical lines on the margin and put "NB." And further: "Work everywhere [is hindered by the following] causes: lack of workers, food, forage, absence of transport" (here and above underlined by V. I. Lenin); on the margins, marking it with three vertical lines, he put the annotation "NB."

Below Lenin marked the following text of the telegram: "if the fodder allowance from the provincial food commission is not increased and wagons for fuel are not provided, a gradual stoppage of the plants is inevitable" (underlined by Lenin); on the margins he marked it with two vertical lines and put "NB."

On January 16, 1920, at a meeting of the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense, a decision was adopted: to entrust Komprod and the Supreme Council of the National Economy to immediately organize a conference on the question of the decline in labor productivity in the Urals and measures to raise it; to report the results of the conference to a meeting of the Defense Council. At subsequent meetings this question was heard repeatedly and measures were undertaken to eliminate the difficult situation.

2 A. I. Sviderskiy — member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Food.

NOTE TO L. D. TROTSKY

[1920, January, not later than 12]

Comrade Trotsky! What should be done about this? Perhaps you would request the military censor (over your and my signature, copy to the provincial executive committee), and send me his response?

Lenin

1 Written on a telegram from Kazan with a complaint about the actions of the military censor, who had forbidden the publication in the Tatar language of the newspaper "Voice of the Poor," organ of the Tatar-Bashkir section, without prior translation into Russian.

A telegram was sent to Kazan to the head of the political department with a proposal to remove the military censor without the right to hold office in military censorship and to appoint another censor.

DIRECTIVES

TO THE SECRETARY

Ask Eiduk: 1) who is the author of this note; 2) what evidence do we have of his conscientiousness; 3) and regarding his experience and knowledge?

14/1 1920

Lenin

1920

Send for the information of all members of the collegium of the NKPS.

14/1

Lenin

1 A. V. Eiduk, member of the collegium of the VChK and special committee for implementing martial law on railroads, submitted to V. I. Lenin a detailed note by railroad transport engineer M. A. Polozov on the question of reorganizing the People's Commissariat of Communications and its institutions at the center and locally. In his covering note, Eiduk reported that this specialist "works in the NKPS and we have no reason to doubt his loyalty to Soviet power." Lenin wrote a directive to the secretary on Eiduk's note. Later, in response to Lenin's inquiry, Eiduk provided information that the author of the note had graduated from the Moscow institute and reported on all his career advancements.

V. I. Lenin made the following annotation on the information about Polozov: "Keep in the archive for reference" (CPA IML at CC CPSU).

2 Written on the report note of M. A. Polozov.

NOTE TO F. E. DZERZHINSKY

Comrade Dzerzhinsky! I ask you to order an investigation of [this matter].

16/1 1920

Lenin

1 The Gatchina district revolutionary committee appealed to V. I. Lenin with a complaint about the actions of the Main Military Engineering Administration, which had provided a car for transporting the belongings of the head of the 10th section of the military engineering administration. Investigation established that permission for the transport was issued lawfully.

NOTE TO A. V. GALKIN

Comrade Galkin! I ask you to call in the appropriate commissariats and consider this project in the Small Council as soon as possible.

24/1 [1920]

Lenin

1 A. V. Galkin at this time was a member of the Small Council of People's Commissars.

2 The matter concerns a draft resolution on the Central Statistical Administration and its organs.

On January 26, 1920, at a meeting of the Small Council of People's Commissars, the first item on the agenda was a question concerning the mobilization of statisticians and improvement of their situation to ensure proper conduct of work. A decision was made to postpone this question to the following day to ensure attendance of representatives from a number of commissariats. On January 27, the draft decree was rejected.

LETTER TO M. I. LATSYS

25. I. 1920

Comrade Latsys!

Discuss the question of publishing information from Rostov-on-Don. Concerning the Socialist-Revolutionaries, it is necessary to systematically collect all materials, leaflets and so forth and keep them. Who wrote the letter to Chernov?

Lenin

1 M. I. Latsys — member of the collegium of the VChK.

2 V. M. Chernov — one of the leaders of the SR party. After the October Socialist Revolution — one of the organizers of anti-Soviet uprisings.

TELEGRAM TO A. A. IOFFE

Ioffe
Yuryev

In reply to your 133, I agree with the tactics of the People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs, which have been discussed and approved by the Politburo. It is impossible to change them. Concrete specific concessions are still possible, but they must be negotiated separately.

January 25, 1920

Lenin

Printed from a typewritten text

1 While in Yuryev as chairman of the peace delegation for negotiations with Estonia on concluding peace, A. A. Ioffe repeatedly appealed to the NKID and to V. I. Lenin for instructions and guidance.

2 V. I. Lenin is referring to the decision of the Politburo of the CC RCP(b) of January 13, 1920, on the question of peace with Estonia, in which concrete conditions were determined under which signing of a peace treaty was possible.

NOTE TO UNIDENTIFIED ADDRESSEE

[1920, February, later than 16]

If so, give me a telegram to Gukovsky for signature.

1) Do not waver, but purchase good things immediately (according to such-and-such a list: there was already a list, after all), not fearing overpayment;

2) once a week send a brief report: [with columns for] proposed / ordered / requested — in extreme brevity.

1 I. E. Gukovsky — plenipotentiary representative of Soviet Russia in Estonia, was authorized to conclude trade deals on behalf of the RSFSR.

RESOLUTION ON A DRAFT DECISION OF THE CC RCP(b)

[1920, later than February 20]

I agree to the approval of this as a directive from the Central Committee.

Lenin

1 In the document on which V. I. Lenin wrote his resolution, the matter concerns a proposal to transfer the People's Commissar of Communications of Ukraine A. M. Zharko to Party work outside Ukraine. It was proposed to appoint V. N. Ksandrov as People's Commissar of Communications of Ukraine. On March 18, 1920, Ksandrov was confirmed as plenipotentiary of the People's Commissariat of Communications at the Council of People's Commissars of Ukraine; Zharko entered the composition of the Revolutionary Committee of the Tatar Republic.

* The document is also signed by N. N. Krestinsky.

DIRECTIVE TO THE SECRETARY

[1920, February, not earlier than 27]

Keep this and ask Khalatov, let his secretary send us a written [report] (what was provided).

In the folder: Food for educators.

1 On February 27, 1920, at an audience with V. I. Lenin, the chairman of the executive committee of the Vesyegonsk Teachers' Union A. A. Vinogradov appeared with a mandate from the II Vesyegonsk District Congress of Education Workers and Socialist Culture, in which it was stated that school workers were in a difficult material situation. During the conversation V. I. Lenin wrote a letter to members of the collegium of Komprod (see Complete Works, vol. 51, pp. 147-148).

Subsequently Vinogradov was at an audience with A. B. Khalatov, member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Food of the RSFSR. On February 27, Khalatov sent a telegram to the Vesyegonsk provincial food committee with an order to take urgent measures to supply school workers with food and footwear, and to report on the execution by telegraph.

On a copy of this telegram V. I. Lenin wrote a directive to the secretary.

TELEGRAM TO THE REVOLUTIONARY MILITARY COUNCIL OF THE 6TH ARMY TO N. N. KUZMIN

To the Revolutionary Military Council of the 6th Army
Kuzmin

Approximately on March 3, a delegation from representatives of all commissariats is departing for Arkhangelsk, among whom are traveling Lomov and Eiduk. We propose that you postpone your departure until their arrival in Arkhangelsk and clarification of matters jointly with them in the Northern Region.

28/II 20

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
Lenin

Printed from a typewritten copy signed by V. I. Lenin

1 N. N. Kuzmin was a commissar of the 6th Army.

2 A. Lomov (G. I. Oppokov) — member of the presidium and deputy chairman of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, dealt with questions of fuel supply.

RESOLUTION ON A TELEGRAM FROM ARKHANGELSK

[1920, not earlier than February 28]

To Tsiurupa, Rykov — for information (To Bryukhanov, Krasin) directives are needed on quick removal. What are your directives?

1 Written on a telegram from Arkhangelsk dated February 28, 1920, from the main accounting commission to the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. I. Lenin, copies to the Revolutionary Military Council of the Republic, the Revolutionary Military Council of the 6th Army, Chusosnabarmy, to the People's Commissariat of Food and the People's Commissariat of Health, with a list of trophy property captured in Arkhangelsk and its surroundings.

NOTE TO N. N. KRESTINSKY

[1920, March, not earlier than 16 — not later than 18]

To Krestinsky: How do you decide? Should we not put it to the Council of People's Commissars?

1 Written on a telegram from Murmansk with a request to send leading workers and give instructions on the question of annulling the money of the White Guard government.

LETTER TO S. D. MARKOV

23. III. 1920

Highly esteemed Comrade Markov,

I received your letter. You have probably already received the extract from the decision of the Politburo. It was delayed, apparently due to the fault of the office.

You need to rest and you need to be archiseriously [about it]. We must take special care of experienced and knowledgeable worker forces.

And upon completion of the "temporary" administration at the NKPS and upon the return of Krasin, the question will be reviewed in the Central Committee concerning the entire NKPS.

With comradely greetings and with wishes that you rest as you should.

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

1 This refers to the following decision of the Politburo of the CC RCP(b) of March 20, 1920: "In view of the physicians' conclusion concerning the necessity for Comrade Markov of prolonged sanatorium rest, grant him a two-month leave" (CPA IML at CC CPSU).

ANNOTATION ON A NOTE BY L. B. KRASIN

TO THE DRAFT REGULATIONS ON THE PROCEDURE FOR CONDUCTING NEGOTIATIONS ON TRADE TREATIES*

[1920, March, not earlier than 24]

This is necessary for the protection of the rights of the NKID.

1 A draft regulation on the procedure for conducting negotiations on trade treaties and agreements was worked out by a commission consisting of L. B. Krasin, A. I. Rykov, V. P. Nogin, G. V. Chicherin, and L. M. Karakhan and sent to V. I. Lenin. In a covering note, Karakhan reported that Krasin, who was chairman of the trade delegation, had been shown the text of the draft regulation and approved it. In the note attached to the document, Krasin notes that he considers all reservations and additions to the draft regulation acceptable except for the following: "Trade deals are concluded with the agreement of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs only in those cases when such deals are of political interest and can serve as a means of political influence on one country or another."

Lenin wrote the published annotation on Krasin's note.

REPLY TO A REQUEST FOR AN AUDIENCE

[March 28, 1920]

I cannot do so right now. I ask that you note by what telephone numbers Lenin [can be reached] or where to find [me].

1 Comrades arriving from Ukraine, in a note to V. I. Lenin, wrote that they could provide very important information and asked him to inform them when he could receive them.

* On the covering note by L. M. Karakhan to this document there is an annotation by V. I. Lenin: "I agree. Lenin."

NOTE TO N. N. KRESTINSKY

[1920, not later than March]

If she does not want to leave, we will give (through the Organizational Bureau) an order to give her bread, butter, meat, otherwise she will die of exhaustion.

1 The document was written on the following note by N. N. Krestinsky to V. I. Lenin: "You informed me through Elena Dmitrievna that I should discuss with you the matter of Volodicheva. If you wish — 2 minutes after the meeting."

Elena Dmitrievna Stasova — secretary of the CC RCP(b).

M. L. Volodicheva — typist at the Council of People's Commissars, assistant secretary of the Council of People's Commissars and the Council of Labor and Defense.

EXCHANGE OF NOTES WITH A. L. SHEINMAN AND E. M. SKLYANSKY

[March 1920]

The German firm "Michler," which supplied us with airplanes and medicines for them, intends at the end of April to send to Moscow a cargo zeppelin — useful cargo 300 tons = 18,000 puds. Condition: a guarantee that the vessel will not be detained and will be released 24 hours after arrival.
(Zeppelins cannot remain in the open air).

Sklyansky does not object.*

Sheinman

# Gukovsky purchased 80,000 puds of paper.

*} Get written consent from Sklyansky and accept [the proposal].

# When will it be delivered?
How will payment be made?

[Reply by E. M. Sklyansky]

1. In principle I do not object, but can give consent only after clarifying the possibility of fulfilling [the order] within the time frame.

2. It would be desirable that the ship not be armed. This I have also said to Sheinman. It is necessary to work out precise conditions (of course, not armed: inspection, etc.) and accept [the proposal].

1 L. L. Sheinman — deputy People's Commissar of External and Internal Trade.

RESOLUTION OF A COMMISSION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

14. IV. 1920

In view of the fact that at the meeting of the commission appointed by the Council of People's Commissars to consider a draft resolution on Sovtrudarme, the lateness of commission member Comrade Rykov was detected — by three-quarters of an hour (the meeting was scheduled for 6½ o'clock in the evening, he appeared at 7 o'clock in the evening), and the commission unanimously recognized the reasons for this lateness as unjustified, the commission resolved to apply to Comrade Rykov the decree on lateness.

Chairman of the commission V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

1 V. I. Lenin is referring to a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars, adopted on December 29, 1917, which established that in case of lateness to a meeting of the Council of People's Commissars for up to half an hour, the People's Commissars would be subject to a fine of 5 rubles; up to an hour — 10 rubles. Only those People's Commissars were freed from the fine who submitted an appropriate statement to the secretary of the Council with precise indication of the reasons for their lateness or absence.

NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

[April 16, 1920]

Comrade Chicherin!

Order a more rigorous check, please. Really, this would be a disgrace if it is so?!

Your Lenin

1 Written in connection with a statement by K. I. Landerav, member of the Russian delegation, to VChK chief F. E. Dzerzhinsky, about the absence of a list of the Latvian delegation at the beginning of peace negotiations with Latvia. The same day G. V. Chicherin informed V. I. Lenin by letter that the list of the Latvian delegation and personnel had been submitted immediately after crossing the border, but there was no list containing the titles and ranks of each person, so the alarm had been raised without cause.

The same day Chicherin sent another letter to Lenin with a complaint about a shortage of people, that the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs had been "emptied due to your fault" (underlined by V. I. Lenin). Further, Chicherin wrote: "As for the personal side of the Latvian delegation, we gave all materials to Comrade Ioffe, who has been entrusted with all practical organization, because we are actually unable to manage [it ourselves]. 'Really a disgrace'" (near these words Lenin placed a symbol ※ and, repeating it at the bottom of Chicherin's letter, wrote: "This is a quote from my note to Chicherin") "on the part of the Chekists, who want to force us to work for them" (CPA IML at CC CPSU). After this letter, Lenin wrote a note to Dzerzhinsky — see the following document.

NOTE TO F. E. DZERZHINSKY

[April 16, 1920]

Comrade Dzerzhinsky!

This is Chicherin's agitated reply to my angry note. It turns out that he is not at fault. We really must help him with people.

Lenin

DIRECTIVE TO THE SECRETARY

[1920, April, not earlier than 21]

I ask you to contact (and obtain agreement from) both Zinovyev and Chuckaev.

1 The directive was written on a note by G. M. Krzhizhanovsky to V. I. Lenin with a request to assist in obtaining enhanced food rations for workers of the Petrograd group of GOELRO.

2 G. E. Zinovyev — chairman of the Petrograd Soviet.

S. E. Chuckaev — member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Finance.

NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

[1920, beginning of May]

Comrade Chicherin!

I am very grateful for the annotations to the manuscript. To Litvinov I consent to write: let us telephone today itself, if you find that necessary now.

Your Lenin

1 The matter concerns the manuscript of V. I. Lenin's book "The Infantile Disorder of 'Leftism' in Communism" (Complete Works, vol. 41, pp. 1-104), which he was sending to G. V. Chicherin for review (see Complete Works, vol. 51, pp. 186-189).

2 M. M. Litvinov — member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs.

NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

[May 5, 1920]

To Chicherin: So, on Sunday [they] took Kiev? I had information from Kiev yesterday, May 4, from Felix Kon. Should [we] not expose the lie?

1 F. Ya. Kon was on Party work in Ukraine.

2 The note was written on a summary of telegrams from Lyon dated May 5, 1920, in which slanderous reports about Soviet Russia were presented. Lenin marked out the false information about the capture of Kiev by Polish troops.

NOTE TO L. M. KARAKHAN

5/V 1920

Comrade Karakhan!

I very much ask you to obtain for me the Manchester Guardian from 16/III with an interview from Rome (with Turaty) — excerpts in your Bulletin of the NKID, No. 7 (25.IV).

Your Lenin

1 L. M. Karakhan — deputy People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs.

2 The Manchester Guardian — a bourgeois-liberal newspaper, one of the most widely distributed and influential British bourgeois newspapers. In the first years after the October Socialist Revolution, the newspaper more or less objectively covered the situation in Russia; later it went over to slandering the USSR. Founded in 1821.

Philippo Turaty — figure in the Italian workers' movement, one of the organizers of the Italian Socialist Party, leader of its right, reformist wing. About the interview with Turaty published in the Manchester Guardian on March 12, 1920, V. I. Lenin speaks in his book "The Infantile Disorder of 'Leftism' in Communism" (see Complete Works, vol. 41, pp. 97-98).

3 On April 25, 1920, in the "Bulletin of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs" No. 7, an interview with Turaty by the Rome correspondent of the Manchester Guardian was published in summary form.

LETTER TO M. KAMENIR

Dear Comrade Kamenir,

Your last conversation with me has caused me great concern. I have spoken with a very knowledgeable and experienced physician, whom I have every reason to trust completely and who has had the opportunity to learn from the physicians treating you about your actual state of health.

In this way I have learned with absolute certainty that your situation is by no means hopeless. Your illness is entirely curable. Therefore, I most insistently advise you to take yourself in hand, abandon all dark thoughts, do not allow yourself to indulge in hypochondria, and patiently undergo treatment. You will certainly recover if you obey.

And you must recover all the more because revolutionaries who are proficient in English and knowledgeable about the American movement, and who moreover have the ability to read in Russian and German, are very few. Such workers are particularly needed and must take special care of themselves.

So undergo treatment patiently — and you will certainly recover.

8/V 1920.

All the best! Your Lenin

1 M. Kamenir — figure in the American workers' movement.

REPLY TO A NOTE BY DIRECT WIRE FROM THE COMMANDANT OF THE FOOD ROUTE YEZHOV

[May 8, 1920]

I will now make all inquiries and, upon receiving them, will answer you by urgent telegram.

Lenin

1 The reply was written on the reverse of a note by the commandant of the food route of the Ivanovo-Voznesensky provincial food committee Yezhov, who had appealed to V. I. Lenin with a complaint against the Samara provincial food committee, which had not fulfilled the directive of the Defense Council regarding the urgent dispatch of a food route (40 cars of grain) to the Ivanovo-Voznesensky provincial food committee and had sent it in another direction. Having clarified all the circumstances, Lenin sent a telegram to the Samara provincial food commissar (see the following document).

TELEGRAM TO SAMARA PROVINCIAL FOOD COMMISSAR

[1920, May, later than 8]

To Samara Provincial Food Commissar,
To the Commandant of the Ivanovo-Voznesensky Food Route Yezhov

Immediately load the food route of the Ivanovo-Voznesensky provincial food committee No. 198, commandant Yezhov, with grain, in the quantity of 40 cars, send it to the address of the Ivanovo-Voznesensky provincial food committee. The execution of the combat order of May 4 No. 246 should not violate the loading of the food route of workers' organizations formed in accordance with the agreement of December 11, 1919.

Chairman of the Defense Council: Lenin

Printed from a telegraph form signed by V. I. Lenin

1 This refers to a telegram signed by the Chairman of the Defense Council V. I. Lenin to Samara, Tambov, Pokrovsk, Saratov, Orenburg, Voronezh, Simbirsk provincial food commissars, railroad heads in addition to the telegram of the People's Commissariat of Food of April 24, 1920, with a directive to send 70 cars of grain each to Moscow, to the address of the People's Commissariat of Food, in addition to planned allocations.

NOTE TO L. A. FOTIYEVA

[1920, not later than May 8]

Get for me (through Klinger) the report on South Africa by Waltman.

1 L. A. Fotiyeva — secretary of the Council of People's Commissars and the Council of Labor and Defense, simultaneously secretary to V. I. Lenin.

On the note there is a reply by L. A. Fotiyeva: "Klinger will send [it]."

G. K. Klinger was a member of the Executive Committee of the Comintern; was managing director of the Comintern.

What report is being referred to could not be determined.

NOTE TO THE SECRETARY*

10. V. 20

Tell Zinovyev that I have received the first part of the proofs and ask him to send me the Italian newspaper "Avanti" and the journal "Comunismo".

Lenin

1 This refers to the proofs of V. I. Lenin's book "The Infantile Disorder of 'Leftism' in Communism" (Complete Works, vol. 41, pp. 1-104), written for the opening of the II Congress of the Communist International.

G. E. Zinovyev — chairman of the Executive Committee of the Comintern.

2 "Avanti!" ("Forward!") — a daily newspaper, the central organ of the Italian Socialist Party; founded in December 1896 in Rome. During the years of the First World War, the newspaper held a consistently internationalist position, while not breaking ties with reformists.

"Comunismo" ("Communism") — a bi-weekly journal of the Italian Socialist Party; was published in Milan from 1919 to 1922, edited by D. Serrati.

NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

[1920, between May 11 and 15]

In my opinion, do not let [him] through.

It is necessary to discuss [this] in the Organizational Bureau and the Politburo.

Forward to Preobrazhenskiy.

* On the note there is an inscription by V. I. Lenin: "To the archive."

1 The document was written in reply to a letter by G. V. Chicherin, in which he reported that the son of Branting wanted to join the English delegation and visit Soviet Russia. In the text of the letter, Lenin underlined the words "Branting's son" and gave the answer in the first phrase.

The second part of the note refers to the report that "the possibility of sending six hundred thousand puds of grain to Italy has been clarified." Along with the dispatch of grain, it was necessary to send to Italy our representative "for strengthening friendly relations." V. V. Vorovsky or D. Z. Manuilsky were proposed as the representative. On May 15, 1920, at a meeting of the Politburo of the CC RCP(b), a decision was made to appoint Vorovsky.

The grain to Italy was sent by water transport from Odessa to Naples.

2 E. A. Preobrazhenskiy — one of the secretaries of the CC of the Party.

NOTE TO A. L. SHEINMAN

ON A REPORT NOTE FROM THE MEXICAN CONSULATE

Comrade Sheinman!

I ask you to pay attention to this matter and give me your conclusion, orally at a meeting, or in a few words in a note.

13/V [1920]

Your Lenin

TO THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS — REPORT NOTE

The Mexican Republic possesses enormous natural resources, extensive and rich industry, and an enormous quantity of finished goods and products, which Soviet Russia now needs. Mexico exported to the Northern United States and, chiefly to Germany, annually more than 600,000,000 pez (pez at the rate — 2.66 francs, gold): 1) Raw wool — Spanish, woolen and cotton yarn, cotton, cotton and woolen products. 2) Cocoa, coffee, sugar cane. 3) Chemical, mineral, and plant dyes (birthplace of cochineal). 4) Paper from wrapping to parchment. 5) Medicines and medicinal herbs (birthplace of the quinine tree) in all types and kinds. 6) Oils — petroleum (gasoline, kerosene) and vegetable — and chemical. 7) Leather and ready-made shoes (famous buffalo leather shoes), machine and drive belts. 8) Tobacco in all its forms (famous German cigars). 9) Metals, mercury, steel, silver and other. 10) Metal products: locomotives, cars, agricultural implements and machines. 11) Woodworking products: red, black, mahogany, and oak wood. 12) Automobiles and automobile parts (famous "Mercedes"). 13) Oil and oil products (famous "Tampico" oil sources). 14) Technical construction-sanitary items and other small items and products.

America purchased all of this, and especially Germany, at very low and cheap prices and resold it chiefly in Russia and in other states at high prices.

Due to the destruction of the merchant fleet and destruction of commercial apparatus with Mexico, Germany is deprived of the ability to continue extensive trade, and Mexico, not wishing to transfer its products, goods, and natural wealth to America, as the country that constantly oppresses it, is now forced to seek other markets for the sale of its goods. Russia is the only advantageous market for it, where it can sell all its production. If to this we add that Mexico, as a maritime state, once it has loaded a steamship with goods in any of its harbors in the Pacific or Atlantic Oceans by which it is washed, can without transshipment with extremely insignificant expenses and with abundance of oil deliver its goods to any of the harbors or ports of Russia, one can imagine all the advantages of such economic unification of both countries. And Mexico possesses a fairly significant merchant marine tonnage, and the tonnage of Holland and other neutral states can also be at its service.

Beyond this, Mexico has a large quantity of goods already transported by it to Germany, in the warehouses of its maritime missions in Germany, Holland, and other places, which can be immediately, as from a neutral country, turned over to Russia through the efforts of the Mexicans.

Moreover, it must be kept in mind that the friendly relations of the Mexican Republic toward Russia have not ceased to this day.

At present, the consul of Mexico in Moscow is organizing the Russian-Mexican Trade Chamber (Russomex), as an apparatus of action for the economic unification of both republics, which should promote the broad development of commercial relations between both countries and which is now already, through the Consulate, ready to take all measures for the delivery to Russia of all necessary goods through exchange or other means possible and advantageous to Russia.

Upon receipt of your principled agreement to our proposal, the Consulate will immediately send its experienced employees for this purpose to Mexico, Holland, and Germany, confirming that all personnel, method, and conditions of work on the transportation of goods are fully ready.

These employees will work out there, on the spot, on behalf of Mexico and the neutral states indicated in the report, all details from the technical, commercial, and financial sides, and will then immediately take all measures for the delivery to Russia of Mexican goods already available in neutral states, repeating that the methods of payment for goods, their exchange for Russian raw materials, questions about currency will be worked out in the interests of both countries.

At present, it is important for us only to have the principled agreement of the Soviet Republic to our proposal, after which all other questions and details will urgently be established by conditions and methods equally advantageous to both sides.

General Consulate of the Mexican Republic in Moscow:
Commercial agents at the Consulate: (signature)
Manager of Affairs: (signature)

NOTE TO V. A. AVANESOV

Comrade Avanesov!

In my opinion, these comrades should be given vehicles. Let us discuss this matter in the Defense Council.

14/V [1920]

Your Lenin

1 Written on a report by M. A. Medvedev, head of the military automobile base of the Council of People's Commissars, about the work of the automobile base. In it it was reported that the State Control had pointed out to Medvedev the impermissibility of having 35 vehicles and demanding 10 more. Besides, V. A. Avanesov, member of the collegium of State Control, found it improper to constantly provide vehicles to a number of persons enjoying this right.

NOTE TO V. D. BONCH-BRUYEVICH

14. V. 1920

Comrade Bonch-Bruyevich
Comrade Vladimir Dmitriyevich!

I ask you to order that from the automobile base of the Council of People's Commissars they provide an automobile at [my] telephone call to:

1) A. M. Nikolaev, member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of the Telegraph;

2) Comrade Stepan Ivanovich Botin (Botin).

This is necessary, temporarily, in view of commissions I have given them.

Your Lenin

1 V. D. Bonch-Bruyevich — managing director of the Council of People's Commissars.

2 In the spring of 1920, V. I. Lenin learned of the invention by S. I. Botin, who was working on the problem of explosion at a distance with the help of electromagnetic waves. Attributing enormous significance to this problem in the conditions of civil war, V. I. Lenin paid great attention and showed exceptional care for the inventor (see V. I. Lenin, Complete Works, vol. 51, pp. 209-211, 225, 233-234, 268-269, 295-296, 302-303, 323).

A. M. Nikolaev, by commission from V. I. Lenin, was assigned to S. I. Botin as a "specialist" and confidant of "all the inventor's secrets."

See the following document and the present collection, pp. 320, 327.

NOTE TO A. S. ENUKIDZE

14. V. 1920

Comrade Enukidze!

I very much ask you not to refuse to order that from the garage of the Supreme Council of the National Economy they provide an automobile at [my] telephone call to:

1) A. M. Nikolaev, member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of the Telegraph;

2) Stepan Ivanovich Botin.

This is temporary, I hope, not for long; in view of the special commission I have given them.

Greetings!

Your Lenin

1 A. S. Enukidze — secretary of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee.

NOTE TO I. K. KSENOFONTOV

To the VChK
Comrade Ksenofontov! I ask you to find out most urgently what the matter is (if necessary, telephone Piter today), and give me your opinion as accurately as possible.

(Please return this).

14/V. 1920

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

1 The document was written on a letter from Professor Fedorov dated May 2, 1920, protesting against the arrest of his wife and son and complaining about the difficult conditions in which scholars had been placed. Lenin, marking the following passage of the letter: "Having arrived a few days ago from a business trip to Moscow back to Petrograd, I accidentally learned that there was an ambush at my house, that [they] arrested... my wife and my boy son" (underlined by Lenin), wrote on the margin: "NB. What is the matter?."

On the letter, Lenin made further inscriptions: "confidential," "to the archive," "Fedorov case."

Fedorov's letter was sent to V. I. Lenin by A. M. Gorky along with his own letter. Gorky asked Lenin to receive and hear out A. Apatov, member of the presidium of the Commission for Improving the Conditions of Scholars. Lenin underlined the surname Apatov with three lines, and on the margins near this text wrote a directive to the secretary: "Remind me."

On May 15, deputy chairman of the VChK I. K. Ksenofontov in response to Lenin's inquiry about Fedorov reported that Prof. Fedorov's brother had gone over to the Whites and was preparing Prof. Fedorov's transition. One of the White Guards was sent to Prof. Fedorov, but did not find him, since Fedorov had gone to Moscow; in Moscow too it was not possible to find Fedorov. Upon returning from Moscow to Piter, Fedorov was arrested. Fedorov's wife and son were left at liberty.

NOTE TO E. M. SKLYANSKY

[1920, not later than May 22]

Comrade Sklyansky! Be so kind as to order the dispatch of this communication and verify delivery.

Your Lenin

1 Written on a telegram to physician Damir, who was at the Turkestan Front. The telegram reported that his mother was in good health. On the telegram there is the following annotation: "Executed. 22/V. 20."

NOTE TO I. E. GUKOVSKY

22/V 1920

Comrade Gukovsky!

I ask you, if it is not troublesome, to obtain — probably you can order directly? — books that [my] wife requests (for the External Education Department of the People's Commissariat of Education) according to the attached list.

Your Lenin

1 The list could not be found.

LETTER TO YU. V. LOMONOSOV

Lenin, for better information of the Politburo.

[A] commission created by the Central Committee (or the secretary of the Central Committee?), asks Comrade Lomonosov to write today or tomorrow briefly:

1) your Party record, before 1905, in 1905, and later;

2) technical record — years and place of work, briefly;

3) the names of Party (and most prominent non-Party) workers with whom you have come in contact at work (year and place) both in the first and in the second field.

22/V 1920

Lenin

1 Yu. V. Lomonosov — member of the collegium of the NKPS; plenipotentiary of the Council of People's Commissars for railroad orders abroad.

NOTE TO E. M. SKLYANSKY

25.V. 1920

Comrade Sklyansky!

I ask you to give to the bearer, Comrade Belenky (from the VChK), all mandates or letters, if necessary, — to all artillery depots, institutions, arms supplies, ammunition, and powder, etc., for verification of their security in the district of Serebryany Bor and the surroundings of Moscow.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars and the Defense Council V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

1 A. Ya. Belenky worked at the VChK.

2 In connection with the increased frequency of fires in large centers within the zone declared under martial law, on May 25, 1920, at a meeting of the Politburo of the CC RCP(b), a decision was made to entrust the People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs jointly with the military establishment, local organs of the VChK to strengthen the security of military installations, military arms depots, powder, etc., as well as to arrange sudden inspections of such installations.

NOTE TO A. I. SVIDERSKIY

OR A. B. KHALATOV

Comrade Sviderskiy (or Comrade Khalatov), I ask you to make all inquiries: how much was there, will there be, and give the (exact) answer tomorrow.

26/V [1920]

Lenin

Printed from a typewritten text

1 A. B. Khalatov — member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Food, chairman of the commission of the Council of People's Commissars on workers' supply.

The note was written on a report from the Main Forest Committee to the managing director of the Council of People's Commissars V. D. Bonch-Bruyevich on the possibility and necessity of transporting one million puds of grain by water in the northern provinces to supply logging and fuel organizations.

On May 28, Khalatov submitted a report to V. I. Lenin on the question of granting the Main Forest Committee the right to deliver by water one million puds of grain and forage, and reported that by the appointed time he was unable to submit a report because all correspondence to him arrived only on the evening of May 27.

Khalatov also reported that the People's Commissariat of Food had not found it possible to fulfill the request of the Main Forest Committee, inasmuch as it is supplied in planned order and in the first place through the People's Commissariat of Food, sometimes even to the detriment of other consumers. On Khalatov's covering note, Lenin wrote: "I ask the Small Council to consider this matter. 2. VI. 1920" (CPA IML at CC CPSU).

NOTE TO I. K. KSENOFONTOV

Comrade Ksenofontov!

Pay attention. Send me: 1) a copy of your order on this question;

2) a copy of your written agreement with Lyubovich on measures to prevent further abuses.

29/V [1920]

Lenin

1 Written on a missive from deputy People's Commissar of Posts A. M. Lyubovich to Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. I. Lenin, copy to deputy chairman of the VChK I. K. Ksenofontov, with a complaint about organs of the VChK sending to the telegraph verbose and carelessly composed encrypted telegrams. On the reverse of the second sheet of the missive there is a resolution by V. I. Lenin: "To Lidiia Aleksandrovna for review."

NOTE TO L. A. FOTIYEVA

[June 1, 1920]

Lidiia Aleksandrovna!

1) Put [it] on the agenda for tomorrow;

2) give here, right now, to all members of the Defense Council so that they sign [acknowledging] that they have read [it] and will give their opinion tomorrow!

Lenin

1 The note was written on the request of P. I. Popov, who headed the Central Statistical Administration, to put on the agenda of the Council of Labor and Defense the question of supplying the CSA with paper. On June 2, at a meeting of the Council of Workers' and Peasants' Defense, a decision was made: "Entrust the presidium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy to immediately allocate to the Central Statistical Administration the necessary materials for the paper mills" (CPA IML at CC CPSU).

NOTE TO S. E. CHUCKAEV

To Chuckaev

Urgently for opinion

1) how much are you giving? will you give?

2) what [is needed] to be processed through the Council of People's Commissars?

2/VI [1920]

Lenin

1 Written on an inquiry from the Council of People's Commissars of Ukraine in the name of V. I. Lenin about the speediest processing through the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR of additional appropriations for the provinces of the Ukrainian SSR of 20 billion rubles for the first half of 1920.

S. E. Chuckaev, member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Finance of the RSFSR, reported that from December 1919 to May 1920, 40,702 million rubles had been sent to Ukraine; monthly 8 billion rubles are being sent; it is planned to continue sending at the former rate. If the productivity of the State Mint is increased, the sum of currency notes directed to Ukraine will be increased.

INTERVIEW WITH NORWEGIAN ARCHIVIST

YA. FRIIS

LENIN ON THE TACTICS OF COMMUNISTS

Friis: Would you like to recommend to us, for example, to begin right away collecting arms in our Norway? Our tactics (in Norway) are calculated on obtaining influence in the army with the help of soldiers' councils. Is this, in your opinion, an incorrect tactic?

No, not at all, — Lenin replied. — It is necessary to use the legal path as long as it is only possible. On the other hand, I consider that a "communist party" conducting exclusively legal work does not have the right to bear its name. What should be done in each individual case is a practical question. Such is also the question of participation in elections to parliament. In general, we have always been for participation in elections; however, in exceptional circumstances, for example in the elections to the I Duma, we were for a boycott. Anti-parliamentarianism is one of the infantile disorders of communism, against which I have often had to struggle. In Italy this disorder is widely spread. There is even a newspaper there bearing the name "Il Soviet" (Naples), the organ of communist abstentionists, that is, opponents of participation in elections. In us, as you know, I have had to conduct a struggle on analogous questions against Bukharin and Radek. I was against what we should immediately overthrow the Kerensky government, and I was for the Brest-Litovsk peace. Later they openly admitted that they were mistaken, and Radek was taught so well that better than anyone else, he struggled against the anti-parliamentary direction in Germany, against Laufenberg, Wolfheim, and the Hamburg communists.

If to generalize, then in my opinion, it is necessary at the present moment:

1) struggle against Mensheviks,

2) struggle against infantile disorders among [the ranks of] left socialists.

Friis: What brief characterization would you give of them? Can one call this — revolutionary romanticism?

Lenin: Yes, absolutely correct. But of course, we cannot do without romanticism. Better an excess of it than a shortage. We have always sympathized with revolutionary romantics, even when we disagreed with them. For example, we have always refrained from individual terrorism. But we have always expressed our admiration for the personal courage of terrorists and their readiness for sacrifice. Our point of view was:

# [Part 2/4]

first a rigorous analysis of economic relations, and only then to demonstrate one's conviction by personal example. If I were now in England, for instance, I would absolutely be against boycotting the Labour Party, and I would vote for the Henderson government, but at the same time I would say openly: "Let them prove themselves in deed." It would quickly become clear that the path of reforms is impossible after the devastation of war. Revolution will come inevitably in all countries, but in Western European countries it will probably occur more easily than it did for us. There, after all, there exist entirely different, as opposed to what we had, organizational forces to cope with this. For now Russia is ahead. But once revolution comes to Western Europe, Russia will soon fall behind.

And how is the situation with the intelligentsia in Norway; is it very reactionary?

**Friis:** It has improved recently. The French movement "Clarté" has aroused particular interest. After French writers began becoming "Bolsheviks," Norwegian ones will soon follow them. But it may be simply a fashionable movement that one cannot rely on too much. I think, however, that among engineers one senses a genuinely progressive movement.

**Lenin:** Yes, they are partly on our side everywhere. In Germany, an "engineer proletariat" will also soon exist, so to speak. The recruitment of engineers to our side is of great importance. Most of our engineers had purely capitalistic interests. Therefore it will take many years to rebuild industrial life. In Norway, one must hope, this will occur more easily.

Lenin looked at his watch. I stood up and thanked him for all the cordiality with which I was received during my stay in Moscow.

"Greetings to all Norwegian comrades from me."

*Published June 5, 1920*

*Printed from the text of the newspaper*

*"Die Rote Fahne" No. 96 (Berlin)*

*Translated from German*

*Published in Russian for the first time*

---

# NOTE TO G. E. ZINOVIEV

To Comrade Zinoviev in Petrograd

If this is at fault, it is I, not Vorovsky's. But it seems the matter was entirely different, and I asked specially.

8/VI [1920]

Lenin

---

# NOTE TO M. F. VLADIMIRSKY

[June 8, 1920]

Get in touch with Krestinsky to poll the members of the Politburo by telephone, and then we will take the signatures of the People's Commissars by telephone as well.

---

# TELEPHONE TELEGRAM TO B. P. POZERN

[June 11 or 12, 1920]

To: Revolutionary Military Council of the 5th [Army]
Pozern

Propose on my behalf to Ivan Theodorovich, located in the village of Tinskoe, to depart to Moscow. Render assistance in departure, provide means. Convey to him my best wishes and greetings.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Lenin

---

# NOTE TO N. P. BRYUKHANOV OR A. I. SVIDERSKY

To Comrade Bryukhanov or, if he is absent, to Comrade Svidersky

I request that you satisfy the request.

17/VI [1920]

Lenin

---

# TELEGRAM TO G. E. ZINOVIEV

17/VI [1920]

Given the transport conditions of the Republic, the labor army must be regarded also as a reserve of the Commander-in-Chief, wherefore to refuse the detachment of a division from the army for combat tasks pending improvement of transport is not possible.

The Fifty-Sixth Division is being transferred to the Caucasian front, where the situation is very serious. Units of the Nineteenth Division will be used for Arkhangelsk and Murmansk operations; two cavalry regiments are being taken for the Polish front, where upon arrival of these regiments a six-regiment cavalry division will be formed; the Tenth Division is designated for detachment if reinforcement of the Sixth Army is required. From the final clarification of the latter question, the Tenth Division remains in the composition of the labor army and may be drawn upon for labor, however, to the extent that does not undermine its combat capability.

Lenin

---

# NOTE TO LIDIA ALEXANDROVNA FOTIEVA

Lidia Alexandrovna!

Call Petrograd and tell them I request they send the galley proofs and quickly. Find out the date of publication.

1/VII [1920]

Lenin

---

# LETTER TO ALL SOVIET AND MILITARY INSTITUTIONS

July 1, 1920

The bearer of this, Comrade M. Yu. Kozlovsky, Chairman of the Small Council of People's Commissars, is traveling for treatment to the Caucasian mineral springs.

I request all Soviet and military institutions to render him every assistance.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

---

# NOTE TO LIDIA ALEXANDROVNA FOTIEVA

2/VII 20

Lidia Alexandrovna!

I request that you:

1) send me 2 sheets of onionskin paper,
2) call Zinoviev by telephone and ask when is the final deadline for No. 12 of the "Comintern" (theses and review of Otto Bauer)?

Greetings! Lenin

---

# NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

[Between July 3 and 19, 1920]

Comrade Chicherin!

Quickly provide the draft resolution of the II Congress of the III International on this question and take a copy of my theses from Zinoviev.

Lenin

---

# INSCRIPTION ON THE REPORT OF THE TURIN SECTION OF THE ITALIAN SOCIALIST PARTY TO THE NATIONAL COUNCIL IN MILAN

I advise [you] to definitely publish [this] in "Communist International" before the congress, or, in the extreme case, as a separate sheet with translation into French.

5/VII [1920]

Lenin

---

# LETTER TO ALL SOVIET AND MILITARY INSTITUTIONS

I request all Soviet institutions, military authorities, and all comrades to render every assistance to the bearer Zinaida Pavlovna Krzyzhanowskaya, personally known to me since 1895, a party comrade and Soviet worker.

8/VII

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars: V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

---

# NOTES ON THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS

[July 1920, not earlier than July 3 — not later than July 19]

(in principle)

1) More autonomy for "Mezhsovprof"...
2) It must be independent resources...
3) Supply it with room
   not through KI
   not through VTSPS
   food and other things
   (material support)
   not less than Com. Intern.

Members:
Tomsky, gen. secretary
Executive Bureau [
Murphy
Rosmer
(Lozovsky)
Yanson
Shablin

Unequal treatment of syndicalists and anarchists.

---

# TRANSLATION

(in principle)

1. More autonomy for "Mezhsovprof"...
2. These must be independent means...
3. Provide it with premises,
   not through KI
   not through VTSPS
   provisions and other things
   (material support)
   not less than the Comintern.

Members:
Tomsky, general secretary
Executive Bureau

Unequal treatment of syndicalists and anarchists.

---

# ROUGH DRAFT AND INITIAL VERSION OF THE PLAN OF THE REPORT "ON THE INTERNATIONAL SITUATION AND THE BASIC TASKS OF THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL AT THE II CONGRESS OF THE COMINTERN"

[July 1920, not later than July 19]

Notes to my report on the basic tasks of the Communist International

International Situation and Basic Tasks of the Communist International

<2*** = 1657.

(Plan of report)

1. Division of the world 1914 and [1920]
   (essence of imperialism)
   
   Gigantic exacerbation of all capitalist contradictions on a world scale.
   
2 = 1600 ÷ 1700
   MILLIONS

(Za)** America + Japan
     Great Britain

"Imperialism"?, page 82: in 1876 six major powers had 18% of colonies — 273.8 million inhabitants (1/4 billion)
1914 — " — 523.4 (> 1/2 billion)
other colonies 45.3
3/4 colonies 361.0

3. Ruin — devastation — economic crisis.
   Dissolution among the victors.

4. Not "absolute" hopelessness, but revolutionary utilization of crisis.

2 = 929.9

Land billions
| colonies and defeated 1 1/4
altogether 1 3/4 >
(1914)
+ 117

2 = 253

Russia — 136.
Germany — 64.9
Austria — 30.9
Hungary — 21.4
Bulgaria — 5

117.2

---

(a) Debts
(b) Wages and prices
(c) Coal extraction
(d) Currency
(e) Incomes

Keynes "The Economic Consequences of the Peace". 1919.

5. Growth of revolutionary moods, — ideas — movements (throughout the world), (cf. Ramsay Macdonald)

Opportunism = the essence of the II International.
Agents of the bourgeoisie in the workers' movement.
Economic roots.

page 12: page:
We know that all this will pass

that war "created revolutionary conditions"

page 12—13:
"All this will pass"...
"Rape of the social factors of might," Imperialism? page 64:
8—10 billion francs per year (at 5%) income from export of capital abroad by three countries: England, France, Germany.

Page 111: Otto Bauer: Bolshevism or Social-Democracy? Vienna. 1920.

Vorwarts April 12, 1920

8—10 billion francs 1914
10  20  30??

Debts alone (1920) 3 countries = 4 billion £ (Keynes: 254), i.e., = 100 billion francs, 5% = [billion] francs

7. "Purification" of revolutionary parties from these agents.
   In Russia 1903—1917—1920.
   In Europe and America 1915—1920 —
   (We do not accept: change yourselves first).

8. Left errors.
   Illness of growth.
   (Ready to accept immediately: correct yourselves).

"Democracy is that form of state in which the distribution of power in the state is determined exclusively (italic O. V.) by social factors of might," not by violence (p. 109).

x) Five "social factors of might": 1) number; 2) organization; 3) place in the process of production and distribution; 4) activity; 5) education.

9. Revolutionary movement in colonial countries.
   The East.
   The world character in fact of the Communist International.

10. 22*

Conclusion = The Communist International is now not a propagandist society, but the beginning of practical movement of armies of the working class.

Not a question of how soon revolution will come, but acceleration of the preparation of the proletariat—therein lies the essence.

Growth of communist ideas.
(Role of the imperialist war).
Transition moment of movement.

Role of the bribed upper layer of the working class (8—10 billion francs).

Opportunism = bourgeois socialism.

"Left" = proletarian socialism, its growth.

22 = firmly forward.

---

1) Division of the world 1914 and 1920.
2) Gigantic (world scale) exacerbation of all contradictions.
3) Ruin — devastation — economic crisis.
4) Absolute hopelessness?
   No. Revolutionary action must utilize, in order to push what is falling.
5) (Cf. Macdonald) and growth of revolutionary moods, — ideas — movements throughout the world.
6) Opportunism = II International.
   Economic roots
   1914 || 8—10 billion
   1920 || 30—40??
7) "Purification" of Russia and Europe ~ America.
8) Left errors. Illness of growth.
9) Revolutionary movement among colonial peoples: the East.
10) 22
    Not a propagandist society, but the beginning of practical movement of armies.

[Followed by various statistical tables and calculations, which I will render as faithfully as possible]

1250 / 175
1050 ÷ 1
250 * approximately 300
Russia — 130
2000*
600
colonies
7/3 colonies
defeated countries
Germany + Austro-Hungary + Bulgaria
750
Russia
Germany + K

{100}
200 { 50}
{ 50}

1 1/4
1/4
factories
mills
W
creditors (America)

3/4 billion
Keynes, 254
Keynes 254
£ billions
+19 billion rubles
(1/5 doll. 1/10 £)
+1-9
United States
[Crossed out number]

England
France
+ 17 1/2 (+6 Russia)
+ 3 1/2 (1 1/2 Russia)
~ 10 1/2
+ 1.74
(+ 0.57)
- 0.
+ 0.
- 1
.84

+ 40 billion rubles

Debts
- 19

Brown, B.

Debts of 7 states

Debts in % of property

Brown, page 8

idiot Keynes proposes to annul debts: "generosity" (255)

II gold

Millions of marks
- 109.2 (1914)
(1920)

nationalized
52—54% France and England
65—70 Italy and Austria
90% Russia
13% United States
Japan
now } > 50%
(49.7% Germany)

International Situation and Basic Tasks of the Communist International

(1876)
Division of the world 1914 — vs now
6 powers — Germany
England — America
Japan

Hundreds of billions
Destruction
Inflation
Raw materials
Facts

"Privileged countries"...

"Moral" consequences of war

Basel Manifesto 1920

N.B. Revolutionary movement in colonies and dependent peoples
left errors...

22 = we are already not a society of propagandists, but the sum of practically acting armies beginning preparation on a world scale.

---

Revolutionary mood (cf. Ramsay Macdonald)...

Opportunists: 8—10 billion
1920: 20—30??

Layer of labor aristocracy
privileged corruption

"Purification" of worker parties, expulsion from the workers' movement.

Wages 1914—1920 —

| Brown, 6 1/2 |
150 — 180%
(130 (Italy)
England)

Prices
Meat
Milk
(United States)
100—150—200 200—240%
140%—190 —200% —400%
—230%—
300%
(Italy)
(England)

Brown, "Times"

Wages
"Times"
(maximum)
100—120% United States
130—170% England
200%—300% France + Italy

1913—1919

130% Japan: Brown
March 10, 1920

Supreme Economic Council
March 8, 1920

Coal extraction
[Brown, page 64]
England — 20%
France — 50%
Germany — 37%
United States — 4%

Braun from "Times"
March 10

1319

Currency (compare with dollar) £ — 30% "Times," March 10.

fr  64%
(72% lira)
mark — 96%

Incomes 50% — 40%

Lapinsky, page 14.

---

# INTERVIEW TO A FOREIGN JOURNALIST

July 20, 1920

Lenin made the following statements to a foreign journalist:

"Perhaps the English proposal is merely a scrap of paper. But it may be capable of leading to a genuine peace in Eastern Europe. If English diplomats imagine that they can deceive us, they are committing a gross mistake: for every paper proposal we will answer with a paper proposal, and only to genuine deeds will we answer with deeds. English policy is not stable; it is constantly subject to fluctuation. On one side — Lloyd George, on the other — Churchill, and between them Lord Curzon, who would like to see Russia weak. However, next to them stands the great mass of the English people, with whom they must reckon. And we rely most of all on these masses. Peace between England and Russia depends directly on the strength of our Red Army and on the steadfastness of the English proletariat."

When asked what Lenin thought about relations between the Allies, he replied:

"Either the English proposals are a maneuver, or the existence of the famous Entente will be impossible in the future. The very fact that England is accepting 'red' money will compel the Allies to do the same. So far England has acted independently, and one must assume that her policy is directly aimed against France. The treaty with Persia was concluded without the mediation of the League of Nations. Turkey policy of England contradicts the interests of France and Italy. Finally, the English proposal made to Soviet Russia was sent contrary to the wishes of France. If France continues to support Poland, this will lead to an inevitable dispute with England. However, if she abandons Poland to its fate, she will lose her last real ally against Germany."

The journalist also asked Lenin: "Will the Communist International cease its foreign propaganda in the event of mutual understanding between Russia and England?" Lenin replied: "The very fact that Soviet Russia exists is the best propaganda for communism throughout the world."

*Published July 20, 1920*

*Printed from the text of the newspaper*

*"Berner Tagwacht"*

*Translated from German*

*Published in Russian for the first time*

---

# NOTE TO E. M. SKLYANSKY

[July 1920, not earlier than July 22]

Reply: "An order has been issued to the military command, in accordance with your telegram, to meet your delegates at the designated place and time for negotiations on armistice and peace."

Military news?

---

# NOTES TO THE SPEECH AT THE II CONGRESS OF THE COMINTERN ON THE CONDITIONS OF ADMISSION TO THE COMMUNIST INTERNATIONAL

[July 29—30, 1920]

1. Split in Germany
   (and in Italy?).
   
   And of the III International? Better.

2. K.P.D. compromise unsuccessful.

3. Karl Kautsky and Crispien in Frh (III — IV) whiny

4. Turati a Co in Italy {"M. Guardian"}

5. Parliamentarism
   vs. journalism
   syndicalism
   propaganda
   agitation
   organizations
   petty-bourgeois layer
   rural proletariat?

6. Reactionary trade unions
   in England
   (W. Dr. Boilermakers)

---

# NOTE TO M. V. KOBETSKY

[Late July 1920]

Comrade Kobetsky!

Would you be so kind as to send me:

1) a list of members of the Russian delegation?
2) several guest passes to the Congress?

With communist greetings, Lenin

---

# NOTE TO SECRETARY

[August 1920, not earlier than August 8]

1) What did Bryukhanov answer about Bialystok. Can he supply bread?

2) Call Nikolayev (People's Commissariat of Posts and Telegraph): can he give Radek with him (tomorrow) a radio station that broadcasts about 200 versts?
   [It] is necessary.

---

# NOTE TO V. A. AVANESOV

Comrade Avanesov.

Comrade Avanesov!

Do you know the author?

What do you know about him?

I request a review in 2 lines

12/VIII

Lenin

---

# NOTE TO M. I. GLASSER

[August 13, 1920]

It is only possible if first and foremost we set up for a full hour Le Petit (Le Petti).

---

# NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

[August 1920, not earlier than August 21 — not later than August 24]

Comrade Chicherin!

Steinhardt (from Austria) is asking [me] to sign (you and I) such a thing so that on Monday, 16/8, [we can] send [it] to Vienna.

Lenin

---

# LETTER TO I. F. ARMAND

[August 1920, before August 17]

Dear Friend!

It was very sad to learn that you are overworked and dissatisfied with your work and your colleagues (or coworkers). Can I not help you by arranging for you to stay in a sanatorium? I will very gladly help in every way. If you are going to France, of course I am ready to help with that too: I am only frightened and even very much afraid that you will fly into trouble there... They will arrest you and won't release you for a long time... One should be more careful about this. Would it not be better to go to Norway (many people speak English there) or to Holland? or to Germany in the capacity of a Frenchwoman, Russian (or Canadian?) subject? It would be better not to go to France, because otherwise they will lock you up for a long time there and may even hardly exchange you for anyone. Better not to France.

I rested magnificently, got a tan, saw not a line, heard not one telephone call. Hunting used to be good, now they have ruined everything everywhere. Everywhere I heard your name: "When they were in charge there was order," etc.

If you do not like going to a sanatorium, why not go south? to Sergo in the Caucasus? Sergo will arrange rest, sunshine, good work, surely will arrange it. He is in power there. Think about this.

Firmly, firmly I press your hand.

Your Lenin

---

# NOTE TO N. I. BUKHARIN

[August 20, 1920]

To Bukharin

By telephone:

Sylvia Pankhurst writes (for some reason to me) that English delegates are leaving 21. VIII in the evening and therefore a meeting with Rothstein should be no later than tomorrow afternoon.

Lenin

---

# NOTE ON A TELEGRAM

[August 20, 1920]

It is too early to transfer [the army] to labor status.

Lenin

---

# INSCRIPTION ON A LETTER FROM G. V. CHICHERIN TO THE POLITBURO OF THE CC RKP(b)

[August 1920, not earlier than August 21 — not later than August 24]

I agree (to conduct through the Council of People's Commissars on Tuesday, 24. VIII) to begin work immediately.

Lenin

---

# LETTER TO THE CC RKP(b)

August 23, 1920

To the CC RKP

Since I knew Zifeldt very little and only in Zurich, I would very much request that, if possible, you communicate his party tenure. Are there any who know him well? or at least through work? 

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

---

# TELEGRAM TO Z. P. KRZYZHANOWSKAYA

August 27, 1920

Yessentuki
First Park sanatorium
Room 99

Krzyzhanowskaya

For official business your and Meshcheryakova's immediate departure to Moscow is required.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars

Lenin

Report to me the time of delivery to the addressee.

Lenin

---

# ADDITION TO THE DRAFT DECISION OF THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS BASED ON THE REPORT OF THE PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF FOREIGN TRADE

[August 31, 1920]

And with complete certainty that the trip is fully justified by business considerations.

---

# NOTE TO E. M. SKLYANSKY

[August 1920]

Comrade Sklyansky!

So, today the TsKa [Central Committee].
Exactly at [hour].
Exactly at [hour] your report on military situation and emergency measures.

Lenin

---

# NOTE TO A. M. LEZHAVA AND G. V. CHICHERIN

To Lezhava and Chicherin

I request that you take into consideration and return to me with a brief opinion

2/IX [1920]

Lenin

---

# NOTE TO A. I. RYKOV AND L. D. TROTSKY

To Rykov and Trotsky.

I request that you order a check in Samara and in Voronezh (among workers) and report the results to me.

3/IX [1920]

Lenin

---

# LETTER TO E. MEYER

Dear Comrade Meyer!

Best thanks for what you sent. Herewith everything back.

If possible, send me "Die Aktion" once more for an extended time (perhaps I will cite Pfemfert sometime).

With best greetings,
Lenin

6/IX [1920]

---

# TRANSLATION

Dear Comrade Meyer!

Thank you for what you sent. I return everything. If it is possible, send me "Die Aktion" again for a longer time (perhaps I will cite Pfemfert).

With greetings, Lenin

6/IX [1920]

---

# NOTE TO UNIDENTIFIED ADDRESSEE

September 1, 1920

Elizaveta Nikolayevna and Anna Vasilyevna

Azanchevskaya

Tambov

Nikolskaya (or Nikolayevskaya) Hotel

(Room, I think, No. 1)

Request — take care of improving her (their) food situation and generally conditions of life.

V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

---

# NOTE TO N. N. KRESTINSKY

To Comrade Krestinsky

I propose on behalf of the Central Committee to declare a strict reprimand to Ukrrosta for negligence, with warning of more severe punishment next time.

11/IX [1920]

Lenin

[Part 3/4] 1 Written on an explanatory note from the deputy responsible head
of ROSTA
to the Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
V. I. Lenin from September 9, 1920. It reported the receipt
on September 9, 1920 from Kharkov from the Ukrainian Telegraph Agency
of unverified information about the appointment of V. K. Vinnichenko as deputy
chairman of the Council of People's Commissars of Ukraine. This report was published,
but the appointment did not take place.

NOTE FROM SH. M. MANUCHARYANTSÍ

[September 1920, later than the 11th]
Comrade Ramirez² (Business Courtyard No. 216) I ask you to obtain and
send him a book — my book.
"Latest
Data
on the Development
of Capitalism
in Agriculture.
The
United States of North
America"³.
1 Sh. M. Manucharyantsí was the librarian of V. I. Lenin's personal library.
2 Jesus Ramirez — delegate to the II Congress of the Comintern.
3 V. I. Lenin had in mind his work "New Data on the Laws of Development
of Capitalism in Agriculture. Issue I. Capitalism and Agriculture in
the United States of America" (see Complete Works, vol. 27, pp. 129–227).

NOTE TO A. S. ENUKIDZE

Comrade Enukidze!
I fully concur with the request.
Be so kind as to write me a couple of words on this matter.
13/IX [1920]
Lenin
1 Written on a letter from the editor and secretary of the newspaper
"Pravda" N. I. Bukharin and M. I. Ulyanova to the secretary of the VTSIK A. S. Enukidze
with a request to provide a room in the "National" [Hotel] and lunch in the
Council of People's Commissars' dining hall to the writer and contributor to "Pravda"
A. S. Serafimovich.

LENIN COLLECTION

NOTE TO A. V. LUNACHARSKY AND M. N. POKROVSKY

Comrades Lunacharsky and Pokrovsky
§ 6 — it is not possible "outside the queue"
§ 9 — concerning rations with the Small Council of People's Commissars.
Exact
numbers².
16/IX [1920]
Lenin
1 A. V. Lunacharsky — People's Commissar of Enlightenment.
M. N. Pokrovsky — Deputy People's Commissar of Enlightenment.
2 Lenin's remarks concerned §§ 6 and 9 of the Draft Statute of the Commission for
Gathering and Studying Materials on the History of the October Revolution and the History
of the RCP(b), which were drafted in the following manner: "6. The Commission has the right
to publish both materials and its own works outside the queue, for which purpose it is
allocated a definite quantity of paper from the state paper fund according to the general
distribution, and the polygraphic division of the Supreme Council of the National Economy
assigns to the commission the necessary quantity of printing facilities both in Moscow,
Petrograd, and the provinces... 9. Specialists included in this staff receive an academic
ration; basic workers who are not specialists are provided with a Soviet ration."
After Lenin's remarks the draft was substantially revised.

NOTE TO N. P. BRYUKHANOV
[September 17, 1920]
Comrade Bryukhanov!
Give me the draft (or a copy) of your response¹.
Lenin
1 Written on a telegram from the presidium of the Petrograd Executive Committee
dated September 17, 1920 to V. I. Lenin requesting instructions for unimpeded passage of
grain shipments to Petrograd for the needs of fuel organizations.
N. P. Bryukhanov, Deputy People's Commissar for Food Supply, informed V. I. Lenin in
response that the People's Commissariat for Food Supply had given orders to transfer this
grain to shock factories of Nizhny Novgorod province, since the flotilla operators of Petrograd
were not in acute need of grain at that moment. At the end of the note Bryukhanov asked
Lenin: "Should we revoke our order?" Lenin underlined the words "revoke" with a single stroke
and wrote above: "no."

NOTE TO A. D. TYURUP A

[September 1920, later than the 19th]
Your review (brief), Comrade Tyurupa?
Greetings! Lenin
1 Written on a letter from M. K. Vladimiroff, the Food Commissar of Ukraine, who reported
on the state of food supply and the establishment of food organization work in Ukraine.
Given widespread rumors about his recall to work in Moscow, he asked to be left to work on
Ukraine for the good of the cause.
A. D. Tyurupa, fully supporting M. K. Vladimiroff's actions to improve food organization
work in Ukraine, wrote to Lenin: "I consider that Vladimiroff is in his proper place. Having
the most burdensome legacy in all respects, Vladimiroff managed to establish relations with the
Central Committee of the Party of Ukraine, the CEC, and the military, to organize organizational
work and provisions. You don't go looking for more good. Let him stay in Ukraine and work."
Vladimiroff's letter also bears other notes by Lenin: "From Vladimiroff" and "Vladimiroff's
letter and Tyurupa's review."

NOTE TO N. P. BRYUKHANOV
[September 23, 1920]
By telephone:
To Bryukhanov: I ask you to give a review; it is extremely important¹.
Lenin
1 The order was written on a telegram from Petrograd reporting a catastrophic situation
with bread and requesting measures to supply Petrograd with grain.

LENIN COLLECTION
On the reverse of the telegram A. B. Khalatov reported to V. I. Lenin: since
September 18 Petrograd has been supplied with Siberian grain via Vologda;
additional necessary orders will be given.

NOTE TO F. E. DZERZHINSKY
[No earlier than September 23 — no later than September 26, 1920]
Comrade Dzerzhinsky! Please order a check and
instruct your secretary to send me the results of the check¹.
Your Lenin
1 The order was written on a letter from A. M. Gorky to V. I. Lenin
requesting attention to the case of arrest by organs of the All-Russian Extraordinary Commission
of the head of the handicraft department of the Supreme Council of the National Economy
L. Vorobyev for connections with the Socialist-Revolutionaries.
F. E. Dzerzhinsky reported that he "personally examined this case. Vorobyev participated
in harboring Socialist-Revolutionaries and indirectly even Chernov himself. He is a former
Socialist-Revolutionary. He did this, in all probability, out of goodness of heart and not
from political considerations. The case will be concluded in 7–10 days and turned over to the
Party court" (Central Party Archives, Institute of Marxism-Leninism at the Central Committee
of the CPSU).

NOTE TO E. M. SKLYANSKY AND F. E. DZERZHINSKY
Comrades Sklyansky and Dzerzhinsky:
it is necessary to take extremely vigorous measures!
Urgent!
24/IX [1920]
Lenin
1 The order was written on a letter from V. N. Meshcheryakov, who held a leading party
position in Tambov, to V. I. Lenin.
It reported on the grave situation in Tambov province in both military and food supply
respects.
On the letter there is a note by V. I. Lenin: "Tambov province."

YEAR 1920

LETTER TO S. I. LIBERMAN

September 25, 1920
To Comrade Liberman
I ask you to hasten the preparation of the promised materials
on the question of concessions, since this question will be put before
the Council of People's Commissars on Tuesday, September 28 of this year.
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
Printed from the typescript corrected and signed by V. I. Lenin.
1 S. I. Liberman — member of the presidium of the Main Timber Committee of the
Supreme Council of the National Economy.

NOTE TO A. I. RYKOV AND A. M. LEZHA V A

[September 25, 1920]
To Rykov and Lezhava
I ask you to prepare and submit on Tuesday, September 28 of this year
to the Council of People's Commissars the question of concessions to Vanderlip¹.
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
Printed from a typewritten copy.
1 Washington B. Vanderlip — engineer, representative of American industrial circles.
In 1920 he came to Soviet Russia with a proposal to conclude a contract on oil and coal
concessions in Kamchatka.
The question of concessions to Vanderlip was on the agenda of the Council of People's
Commissars on September 30, 1920. An interdepartmental commission was created to conduct
negotiations, consisting of representatives of the Supreme Council of the National Economy,
the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs, the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade,
and the People's Commissariat of Justice. The Soviet government, agreeing to provide
a concession to the Vanderlip syndicate, pursued the goal not only of establishing mutually
beneficial cooperation with American business circles, but also of normalizing relations
between Soviet Russia and the USA. However, relations were not normalized at that time,
and the concession agreement with Vanderlip was not finally concluded and did not come
into force.
See also V. I. Lenin, Complete Works, vol. 51, p. 268.

NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

Comrade Chicherin!
Is it not possible to send a radio message about grain (to Italy) to
refute the lies about spoilage?
27/IX [1920]
Lenin
1 See the present collection, pp. 203–204.
2 On September 30, 1920 in the newspaper "Izvestiya VTSIK" No. 217 a statement from
the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs was published refuting false rumors spread in
Italy by irresponsible persons that Russian grain arriving from Odessa in Naples turned out
to be supposedly of poor quality. In the statement of the People's Commissariat of Foreign
Affairs it was stated that immediately upon arrival of the cargo in Naples the Italian press
reported that all the grain that arrived, with the exception of a small quantity (0.18% of the
entire cargo) that was dampened in transit, was of good quality.

NOTE TO M. I. GLÄSSER

[September 1920, before the 28th]
I simply cannot — neither tomorrow nor in the nearest days.
1 Written on a note from M. I. Glässer in which she reminded V. I. Lenin that he
had promised an article for No. 13 of "Communist International" and the journal issue
is being delayed only because of this.

REMARKS
ON THE RESOLUTION
OF THE IX CONFERENCE OF THE RCP(b) "ON THE IMMEDIATE
TASKS OF PARTY CONSTRUCTION"

On the resolutions of the "decomposing" commission
(§ 13) transfers ("systematically," allegedly) — but without detriment to
thorough familiarity with the work of the appointed and the success of
their work.
(§ 14) "more frequently change the composition of the collegial bodies"
(of the people's commissariats): instead of "more frequently" one should say
"differently."
To the archive (with the materials of the Party Conference IX. 1920).
28.IX.1920
1 See "CPSU in Resolutions and Decisions of Congresses, Conferences and Plenums of the CC,"
1954, Part I, pp. 500–512.

NOTE TO L. P. SEREBRYAKOV
AND CORRECTIONS TO DRAFTS OF THE RESOLUTION OF THE CC RCP(b)
AND THE DECREE ON THE UNIFICATION OF THE TARIFF APPARATUS OF THE
PEOPLE'S COMMISSARIAT OF LABOR AND THE ALL-RUSSIAN CENTRAL COUNCIL OF TRADE UNIONS

[September 1920, no later than the 29th]

Comrade Serebryakov! Would it not be better
1) instead of "economic" to put "financial"?

2) instead of a commission of the Council of People's Commissars to draw up a
decree directly, changing the attached (Tomsky's) in the following
manner¹.
Lenin

Resolution of the CC RCP
Unite the work of the tariff-rating departments of the People's Commissariat of Labor
and the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions in a single tariff department at the
People's Commissariat of Labor [under the general direction of the All-Russian Central
Council of Trade Unions]*. The All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions [People's
Commissariat of Labor] retains the development of tariffs, the direction of their
implementation, jointly with the People's Commissariat of Labor, and supervision of the
implementation [supervision of the implementation of tariff policy and the right to hold
up decrees of the tariff department, carried out through the visaing of decrees of the
department]...
* The text in square brackets here and below is crossed out
and corrected by V. I. Lenin; Lenin's corrections are given in regular type.

LENIN COLLECTION

Decree on the Unification of the Tariff Apparatus
of the People's Commissariat of Labor and the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions

§ 1. The tariff-rating department of the People's Commissariat of Labor and the labor
rating department of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions shall be merged into
a single organ at the People's Commissariat of Labor [All-Russian Central Council of Trade
Unions] under the designation "Department of Labor Rating of the All-Russian Central
Council of Trade Unions and the People's Commissariat of Labor."
§ 2. In exactly the same manner merge their local apparatus at the labor departments
[at the provincial trade union councils and district trade union bureaus] under the designation
"Departments of Labor Rating of the Provincial Trade Union Councils and Labor Departments."...
§ 7. The Department of Labor Rating of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions
is to develop within a week the normal staff rosters of the departments of labor rating, of
the provincial trade union councils and district trade union bureaus, by which the labor
departments are to be guided in approving their budgets. The staff rosters are to be approved
by agreement with the People's Commissariat of Labor.
1 The note was written by V. I. Lenin on the draft resolution of the CC RCP(b) presented
by L. P. Serebryakov, deputy People's Commissar of Labor and chairman of the Main Committee
of Labor, and V. V. Schmidt, secretary of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions.
2 The correction refers to the following phrase in the draft: "Unite the tariff-rating departments
of the People's Commissariat of Labor and the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions in one
organ, which from an administrative-economic point of view would be subordinated to the People's
Commissariat of Labor and the labor department at the local level..."
3 The second point of the proposal concerns the final phrase of the draft: "The detailed
determination of the mutual relations between the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions and
the People's Commissariat of Labor, so that all friction is eliminated and systematic agreement with
the trade unions is achieved, is entrusted to a Commission of the Council of People's Commissars to
establish these relations."

LETTER TO A. N. VINOKUROV

[September 30, 1920]
To Vinokurov
Alexei Andreevich Preobrazhensky, an old party member, personally
known to me* worker, currently works as the head of the administrative
service of the Samara-Zlatoust Railway. He has worked on the railway for
more than 20 years. At present he is 57–58 years old. Given that he is
extremely exhausted, I request that he be relieved from his position with
a pension. After resting for several months, he will be able to resume
work in one or another field.
His address: Samara, station.
Chairman of the Council of Labor and Defense
The words "personally known to me" were written in by L. A. Fotieva.

YEAR 1920

P.S. I ask you to inform me whether this can be done through the People's
Commissariat of Social Security and whether a pension will be sufficient.
If not, I shall turn to the Organizing Bureau of the CC.
Lenin
Printed from a typewritten copy; the postscript — from the text written
by L. A. Fotieva¹
1 A. N. Vinokurov — People's Commissar of Social Security.
Concerning A. A. Preobrazhensky see also V. I. Lenin's letter to V. M. Sverdlov
(V. I. Lenin, Complete Works, vol. 51, p. 293).

TELEGRAM TO ROSTOV-ON-DON
October 4, 1920
Rostov-on-Don
Special Section of the Caucasus Front
To Rusanov
I ask you to obtain for me No. 79 of the newspaper "Don News"
from December 11, 1918
and then the entire collection of this newspaper.
Telegraph whether this is feasible².
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars Lenin
1 In No. 79 of the newspaper "Don News" of December 11 (24), 1918 there was
published a note "Student Botin," which reported that in May 1916 the inventor S. I. Botin
conducted in Tiflis a successful experiment of detonating an artillery shell at a distance of
about 5 versts. Lenin underlined the headline of the note and next to it wrote: "N.B.," then
made notes on this newspaper page and on its reverse: "Return. N.B.," "N.B. Return"
(Central Party Archives, Institute of Marxism-Leninism at the Central Committee of the CPSU).
2 On October 6, 1920 a reply was received from G. A. Rusanov that No. 79 of "Don News"
and the entire collection of the newspaper he was sending to V. I. Lenin by special courier.

INSTRUCTION TO THE SECRETARY

F. F. Ilyin — a Bolshevik whom I have known since 1903 abroad. A bibliophile.
I ask you to give him a box car to Piter (or a place in a carriage for him and his books
and belongings).
Confer
with Rudy
(NKPS)².
5/X [1920]
Lenin

LENIN COLLECTION
1 The note was written on a letter from F. F. Ilyin of September 18, 1920 from
Novorossiysk to N. K. Krupskaya. Ilyin asked for assistance in providing him with a freight
box car to transport his personal belongings from Novorossiysk, as well as documents and
literature gathered by him by commission of the Petrograd Museum of Revolution, in connection
with his move at the invitation of the Petrograd Department of Public Education to work
in Petrograd.
Lenin's underlining appears in Ilyin's letter. "I have about 50 puds of natural history raw
materials, 10 puds of White Guard literature and documents from archives and the local
Cheka, from the period of the reign of the Volunteer Army in the south..." Lenin also
underlined F. F. Ilyin's address: "Novorossiysk, Korolenko Street, No. 9, to F. F. Ilyin."
2 V. B. Rudy — member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Railroads.

RECORD OF A CONVERSATION WITH WILLIAM PAUL

[October 6, 1920]
Lenin proceeded to review the situation of the Communist Party of Great
Britain. He said that the refusal of the Labour Party and Henderson and
Thomas² and others to accept the statement of the Communist Party concerning
affiliation³ is an admission of the strength and influence of communism and
the idea of Soviets in Great Britain. The very fact that these bourgeois-minded
leaders fear having communists in their midst shows how rapidly events are
developing in England. The fear of the Labour Party of the Communist Party
is an indication that British communists must struggle for unification into a
cohesive, disciplined organization. He was very glad that the Communist
International decided to fully utilize its rights to ensure the unification of the
communist movement in England. Of course, there is a great difference on the
question of affiliation to the Labour Party between the positions of the Communist
Party and the old B.S.P⁴. While the latter simply limited itself to a proposal for
formal affiliation, the Communist Party rightly insisted on the right to conduct
its own policy and demanded freedom of action within the Labour Party.
Nevertheless, despite the fact that they did not come to an agreement, the Labour
Party, by rejecting the Communist Party's statement, thereby demonstrated that
the new organization had drawn into its ranks truly good revolutionary fighters.

The next important question which British communists should discuss,
Lenin said, is their attitude toward the forthcoming general elections. According
to various reports received, Lloyd George may impose elections on the country in
November. The most important duty of the communists consists in utilizing the
forthcoming elections for the purposes of agitation. The Communist Party should
have put forward as many candidates as possible in order to explain to the masses
the hopelessness of capitalism and the bankruptcy of the parliamentary system.
But since they will not have the opportunity to put forward a large number of
candidates, British communists will have to work out a tactical method by which
they could use their opponents as an instrument to demonstrate that the policy
of Soviets is the only policy that can properly resolve the various problems
engendered by modern capitalism. Revolutionary political activity consists in
utilizing the policy of the enemy, especially if that policy prepares his own
destruction. Parliamentary activity not only gives communists the opportunity to
conduct broad propaganda, it can also be used as a means to place the opposition
in such a position in which it will demonstrate its bankruptcy. Many in England
are now beginning to understand that capitalism and the parliamentary system
have gone bankrupt. They learn this not only from the theoretical arguments of
Marxists and communists — this is the result of the concrete experience and
lessons that the coalition government has given them since the armistice. How
can British communists accelerate the collapse of the parliamentary system and
expose before the masses its fraudulent pretensions? Of course, not with the help
of an avalanche of theoretical arguments hurled at the heads of workers. The
purpose of our theoretical views is to guide us in our revolutionary activity. The
best place to test our theoretical views is the field of active struggle. The true
test for a communist is his understanding [of how], where and when to transform
his Marxism into action. Since the Communist Party cannot put forward candidates
in every electoral district in order to wage struggle against capitalism and its
barren parliamentary method of social representation, the question arises: is it
not possible to use some other political party to do this work? The coalition party
with Lloyd George, Churchill, Bonar Law⁵ and Co. has already demonstrated its
bankruptcy; they had this opportunity and the period of their rule provoked
discontent in the ranks of the masses. The Labour Party is the only political
organization that has not yet had the opportunity to demonstrate the collapse
of the parliamentary method of rule. The only difference between Arthur Henderson,
Thomas and their followers, on one hand, and Lloyd George and Bonar Law, on
the other, consists in the fact that the former have not yet had the opportunity
to control the parliamentary machine. In the conditions in which British communists
now find themselves, they should help these gentlemen obtain this opportunity
to control parliament. Help the Labour Party to prove that it cannot use parliament
to solve the vital problems facing society; help it to present concrete proof that it
is precisely Soviets that represent the historically established instrument which
alone can ensure the realization of the will of the masses. In short, the Communist
Party of England must help the Labour Party to demonstrate its own bankruptcy.

I asked Lenin whether he thought that if the Communist Party officially took
upon itself the responsibility to help the Labour Party achieve victory, this might
confuse English workers. I argued that we would be officially identified with an
organization which would accelerate such a crisis and which would be swept away
by angry masses. In the course of this crisis workers would remember that we
actively helped the Labour Party, and there would be a danger that we too would
be swept away by a wave of indignation. Lenin smiled and said that, despite the
fact that Britain has produced good communists who are excellent fighters, he
had formed the impression of all English comrades with whom he had met that
they lack political experience. He said that the difficulties of which I spoke could
easily be overcome if the Communist Party in each electoral district where a Labour
candidate was put forward issued an official appeal calling on workers to vote for
the Labour Party in order to prove that Hendersons, Thomases, MacDonalds and
Snowdens cannot with the help of the parliamentary machine solve the numerous
problems facing society. Such a mode of action would protect the Communist Party
from the troubles which I feared. We discussed this tactic for some time. I continued
to raise objections until Lenin, sensing the possibility of a good polemical duel,
invited me to a friendly discussion of this question in the English communist press.
I gladly agreed to this and asked when his first article would be ready. He sadly
shook his head and pointed to a pile of important materials lying before him. So I
proposed to set forth his view on this question, which I did in this article, and to
offer it to the readers of "The Communist." He agreed, saying that this would accord
with his intentions and save him time.
Printed from the typescript
Translation from the English
1 The published record was made by the English communist, one of the founders of the Communist
Party of Great Britain William Paul on the basis of his conversation with V. I. Lenin on October 6, 1920.
On October 9, 1920 W. Paul sent V. I. Lenin the following letter:
"Dear Comrade Lenin,
in connection with our recent conversation about the tactics which British communists should
adopt in the forthcoming elections, I promised to set forth your point of view and send this material
to 'The Communist' in England. I enclose an extract from the record of our conversation, which
concerns the essence of the question you raised about tactics toward the Labour Party. You have
probably not forgotten that I promised to send it to you for review. Please do not refuse to make all
those corrections which you consider necessary, and I shall make the corrections in my manuscript
before sending it to England. I did not attempt to repeat your words literally, but only briefly expressed
what I consider to be your opinion on this question. Sincerely yours, William Paul."
William Paul's article "Lenin on Communist Tactics in England" was published in the weekly official
organ of the Communist Party of Great Britain, the journal "The Communist" on December 2, 1920.
2 Arthur Henderson — one of the leaders of the Labour Party and of the English professional movement.
In 1919 — one of the organizers of the Bern (II) International. Repeatedly entered the bourgeois government
of England.
James Henry Thomas — English political and trade union figure; one of the leaders of the Labour Party.
In 1920–1924 — chairman of the reformist Amsterdam International of trade unions.
3 This refers to a statement of the English Communist Party of August 10, 1920, submitted in accordance
with the decision of the Founding Congress (July 31 — August 1, 1920) to the Executive Committee of the
Labour (Workers') Party with a request for its admission to the Labour Party. The leadership of the Labour
Party answered with a refusal.
V. I. Lenin's speech on this question at the II Congress of the Communist International on August 6, 1920
see Complete Works, vol. 41, pp. 260–267.
4 The British Socialist Party (British Socialist Party — B.S.P.) was founded in 1911 in Manchester
as a result of the merger of the Social-Democratic Party with other socialist groups. The B.S.P. conducted
agitation in the spirit of Marxist ideas and was a party "not opportunistic, truly independent of the liberals"
(V. I. Lenin, Complete Works, vol. 23, p. 344). However, the small size of the party and weak connections
with the masses gave it somewhat of a sectarian character. During the period of the imperialist world war
a sharp struggle developed in the party between the internationalist current (W. Gallacher, A. Inkpin, D.
Maclean, F. Rothstein and others) and the social-chauvinist current led by Hyndman. Within the internationalist
current there were inconsistent elements that occupied a centrist position on a number of questions. In February
1916 a group of B.S.P. figures founded the newspaper "The Call" ("The Appeal"), which played an important
role in rallying the internationalists. The annual conference of the B.S.P. held in April 1916 in Salford condemned
the social-chauvinist position of Hyndman and his supporters, and they withdrew from the party.
The British Socialist Party greeted the Great October Socialist Revolution. Members of the B.S.P. played
a major role in the movement of English workers in defense of Soviet Russia against foreign intervention.
In 1919 an overwhelming majority of party organizations (98 against 4) came out in favor of joining the
Communist International. The British Socialist Party together with the Communist Unity Group played the
leading role in the formation of the Communist Party of Great Britain. At the first unification congress held
in 1920 an overwhelming majority of the local organizations of the B.S.P. joined the Communist Party.
5 David Lloyd George — English statesman; leader of the Liberal Party. In 1916–1922 — Prime Minister
of Great Britain.
Winston Churchill — English political figure, Conservative. In 1918–1921, as War Secretary, was one of
the inspirers of armed intervention against Soviet Russia.
Andrew Bonar Law — English reactionary political figure, one of the leaders of the Conservatives. Served
in Lloyd George's coalition government. From 1919 — Lord Keeper of the Seal; participated in the Paris Peace
Conference, was a member of the Supreme Council of the Entente. One of the inspirers of the anti-Soviet policy
of British imperialism.

NOTE TO WILLIAM PAUL

[October 6, 1920]
An Englishman who does not speak Russian asks you to direct him to
the following address: Revolution Square (opposite the former building of the
City Council), Lobachev House, first entrance from the corner of Tverskaya,
entrance from the square, People's Commissariat of Internal Affairs,
Deputy Commissar Comrade Vladimirsky.
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
Printed from a typescript signed by V. I. Lenin.
1 The note was written by V. I. Lenin during his conversation with English communist William Paul
on October 6, 1920. See also the previous document.

LETTER TO V. G. GROMAN

October 7, 1920
Comrade Groman!
Having reviewed your brief report
where you refer to
attachments to the report (saying they "will be sent"), I
made inquiries.
My secretary, Comrade Fotieva, says that you did not send them because
they are too voluminous.
In that case I ask you to provide me with their inventory
and, if possible, to add, for each point of the summary whether there are
(in these attachments) detailed calculations — if not for all, then for which ones.
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
1 This refers to the report of the commission formed by the decree of the Council of Labor
and Defense of March 8, 1920 under the chairmanship of V. G. Groman. The commission was tasked
with investigating the influence on all aspects of the national economy and public life of the Soviet country
of the imperialist war and the armed intervention and blockade organized by the Entente.
Given that the commission was unable to accomplish the tasks set before it, the Council of People's
Commissars on September 7, 1920 decreed: "By October 5 the commission must be liquidated and all work
turned over to the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade" (Central Party Archives, Institute of Marxism-
Leninism at the Central Committee of the CPSU). On October 5, 1920 the Council of People's Commissars
took note of A. M. Lezhava's report on the liquidation of the commission.
See also the present collection, p. 273.

LETTER TO G. V. CHICHERIN

Comrade Chicherin! The question was not put before the Council of People's
Commissars and will not be put.
Review the attached report of Groman and return it
to me (along with this letter) with a brief review: are you in favor of
the commission proposed by Krasin?
I think it is hardly necessary to have a commission. It is sufficient to have
the materials of the Groman commission in reserve.
When needed, we will dig them out and put them to use.
7/X [1920]
Lenin
1 The document was written on a letter from G. V. Chicherin, in which he joined L. B. Krasin's
protest against detailed examination of the work of V. G. Groman's commission in the Council of People's
Commissars.
See also the present collection, p. 273.

INTERVIEW WITH LOUISE BRYANT

[October 13, 1920]
In early 1918 I told Americans, in particular Colonel Robins², that a
friendly attitude toward Soviet Russia was in the interests of the United States.
Even then I pointed out the desirability of trade relations — from our point of
view as well as from the point of view of America. We offered concessions to
foreign capital. American businessmen who are now coming to Moscow agree
with us. Regardless of all political questions, the simple fact remains that America
needs our raw materials, and we need American goods. American capitalists
know perfectly well what they need. They know about the coming struggle with
Japan for dominance on the Pacific Ocean, they understand that in the struggle
for preponderance on the world market America will have to challenge England.
Whether they like it or not, Soviet Russia is a great power. After three years of
blockade, counterrevolution, armed intervention and the Polish war Soviet Russia
is strong as never before. America will gain nothing from Wilson's policy of pious
refusal to deal with us on the grounds that our government is not to their liking.
The leaders of the Republican Party apparently understand that the period of
isolation from European affairs is past*. It is obvious that no country can play such
a role without utilizing the enormous, undeveloped reserves of raw materials offered
by Soviet Russia, which, in turn, can purchase finished goods in unlimited quantities.
After the world war** Soviet Russia remains the only solvent European power.
Mr. Colby tells the Italian government that we will not fulfill our agreements*,
but Mr. Colby³, in my opinion, should weigh his words more carefully. He will
not be able to cite a single example or a single fact of our violation of our obligations.
And the example of Bullitt⁴? Did he not bring us an obligation of the American
government? Did not Mr. Keynes⁵ and other non-Bolsheviks rate the obligations of
Wilson⁶?
Printed from the typescript corrected and supplemented by V. I. Lenin
Translation from the English
1 The main points of the interview with American journalist Louise Bryant were first printed in the newspaper
"Washington Times" on October 14, 1920. The full text of the interview under the heading "Soviet Power is Stronger
Than Ever" was published in Serbo-Croatian in the newspaper of Yugoslav workers "Znanie," published in Chicago,
on October 23, 1920. The translation from Serbo-Croatian was published in the journal "Questions of the History
of the CPSU" (1967, No. 7, pp. 3–4).
2 Raymond Robins — American bourgeois public figure, by profession a lawyer. In 1917–1918 — head of the
mission of the American Red Cross in Russia, in his capacity as representative of the Red Cross met with V. I. Lenin.
He was engaged in the study of social questions in Russia.
3 Bainbridge Colby — in 1920–1921 Secretary of State of the United States of America.
4 William Christian Bullitt — American reactionary journalist and diplomat, one of the active promoters of anti-
Soviet policy. In 1919 he was sent by Wilson and Lloyd George to Soviet Russia to clarify the conditions on which the
Soviet government would agree to conclude peace with the countries of the Entente and the White Guard governments
on the territory of Russia. Through Bullitt proposals were transmitted emanating from US President Wilson and
British Prime Minister Lloyd George. The Soviet government, seeking to conclude peace as quickly as possible, agreed to
conduct negotiations on the proposed conditions, but made substantial amendments to them (see "Documents of the
Foreign Policy of the USSR," vol. II, Moscow, 1958, pp. 91–95).
Soon after Bullitt's departure from Soviet Russia, Kolchak succeeded in achieving some successes on the Eastern
Front, and the imperialist governments, hoping for the defeat of the Soviet state, refused to negotiate peace. Wilson forbade
the publication of the draft agreement brought by Bullitt, and Lloyd George, speaking in parliament, declared that he had
nothing to do with negotiations with the Soviet government. Bullitt was forced to resign.
5 John Maynard Keynes — English vulgar bourgeois economist, apologist for state-monopoly capitalism. In 1919
he participated in the work of the Paris Peace Conference. Having resigned in June 1919, he subjected in a series of works
to sharp criticism the economic bankruptcy of the system of imperialist Versailles peace. In 1919 his book "The Economic
Consequences of Peace" appeared, in which he mocked Wilson and the role he played in the Versailles Treaty. In his book,
according to V. I. Lenin, he showed "that the 'roots' of Wilson's policy consisted only of priestly stupidity, of petty-
bourgeois phrase-mongering, of complete misunderstanding of the class struggle" (Complete Works, vol. 41, p. 224).
6 Woodrow Wilson — American statesman; President of the USA from 1913 to 1921.

EARLIER TEXT WAS CROSSED OUT BY V. I. LENIN AS FOLLOWS: *[From here to the end was written in the hand
of V. I. Lenin in Russian, replacing the following text which he crossed out: "but Mr. Colby never attempted to conclude
agreements with us, unless we count the unofficial proposal to exchange Russian communists for American speculators
and spies. Soviet Russia has always honestly observed every agreement and every treaty with states and individual persons,
whatever it cost. It is not surprising that calculating American businessmen are irritated by a government that does not
allow them to take advantage of excellent opportunities. Will this not be one of the reasons that in March a new party will
come to power in America?
In addition to all this, Soviet Russia fully realizes that American workers do not participate consciously in the
shameful attempt to starve our women and children through an inhuman food blockade. We know that they harbor nothing
but sympathy and goodwill toward the efforts of the peasants and workers of Russia to strengthen their own power."]
** FURTHER TEXT WAS CROSSED OUT BY V. I. LENIN: "not bankrupt Europe can America address with business
proposals."

NOTE TO L. A. FOTIEVA OR M. I. GLÄSSER

[October 13, 1920]
To Lidia Alexandrovna or Glässer
Time 6½–11 to divide (by
¾ hour each) among Nikolaev, Kuklin, Alferov, Litvinov¹
and others.
Appoint a time for each².
1 Written on a note from M. I. Glässer, assistant secretary of the Council of People's Commissars: "Grusenberg also
requests that you receive him today. He is leaving today."
2 A. M. Nikolaev — in 1918–1924 member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Posts and Telegraphs
and chairman of the Radio Council.
A. S. Kuklin — chairman of the Petrograd Commune.
K. A. Alferov — chairman of the Main Committee of State Construction, member of the Small Council of
People's Commissars.
M. M. Litvinov — plenipotentiary representative of the RSFSR in England.
3 Having received this note, M. I. Glässer recorded in V. I. Lenin's desk calendar for October 13:
"6½ Nikolaev
7¼ Grusenberg
7¾ Kuklin
¾
Alferov
9½ Litvinov
10¼ Bogolepov."
To this list of persons appointed for an audience, V. I. Lenin added in writing: "10¾ Smilga"
(Central Party Archives, Institute of Marxism-Leninism at the Central Committee of the CPSU).

LETTER TO A. P. PLATONOV

13/X [1920]
To Comrade Platonov
I ask you to provide a room in House of Soviets No. 1 or No. 2 to Nina
Alexeevna Preobrazenskaya.
Be so kind as to call my secretary to tell me what exactly
your decision is².
Respectfully, V. Ulyanov (Lenin)
1 A. P. Platonov — in March 1920 was appointed responsible manager, head of the economic apparatus
of the Kremlin and the Houses of Soviets.
2 On November 24, 1920 M. I. Ulyanova informed V. I. Lenin that the space provided to N. A. Preobrazenskaya
was extremely small and inconvenient. On the draft letter from M. I. Ulyanova on this subject V. I. Lenin wrote: "but is not this
Platonov's responsibility? Is that not so? Check and send it to him" (Central Party Archives, Institute of Marxism-Leninism at
the Central Committee of the CPSU).
The same day V. I. Lenin himself wrote a letter to A. P. Platonov asking him to improve the conditions for N. A.
Preobrazenskaya (see V. I. Lenin, Complete Works, vol. 52, p. 19).

LETTER TO M. N. POKROVSKY
[October 14, 1920]
To the Department of Higher Education. People's Commissariat of Enlightenment
Comrade Pokrovsky
I ask you to provide a scholarship
to Nina Alexeevna Preobrazenskaya, a student of the medical faculty.
Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
Printed from a typewritten copy

NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN
WITH TEXT OF TELEGRAM TO L. B. KRASIN
October 15, 1920
To Comrade Chicherin
I ask you to send to Krasin by cipher:
I warn you that I shall ask the Central Committee to dismiss you from
service if there is even one more such stupid
and improper incident like in No. 875 (12.X) about "distributing Ioffe's
gold"¹. It is a disgrace to occupy cipher clerks with quarrels.
Lenin
1 The reference is to the enciphered telegram of L. B. Krasin from London No. 875 of October 12, 1920
to the People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs G. V. Chicherin.
At this time A. A. Ioffe, chairman of the Russian-Ukrainian delegation, was conducting negotiations with
the chairman of the delegation of the Polish bourgeois republic Jan Dombsky regarding the conclusion of a peace
treaty between Russia and Ukraine, on the one hand, and Poland on the other. Dombsky demanded that the Soviet
republic reimburse Poland's military expenses in the amount of 73 million rubles in gold. Ioffe agreed to 30 million.
In the peace treaty concluded on March 18, 1921 it was stated that both sides renounced reimbursement of their
military expenses and damages caused by war.
See also on this question V. I. Lenin, Complete Works, vol. 52, p. 43.

LETTER TO N. I. BUKHARIN*
15/X [1920]
Comrade Bukharin! Review this.
Does it not seem to you that there is a danger of absurdly carping
attitude of a "circle of 'old' (?) communists" toward the new ones? toward
workers? Something sectarian, narrow, deformed.
Should we not try to gather material and come forward in the press
against this evil?
Your Lenin
* On the envelope V. I. Lenin wrote: "To Comrade Bukharin (from Lenin)."
1 The document was written in connection with a letter from a member of the Committee of the III International
V. Vujovich of September 21, 1920 regarding the situation in the socialist movement of France. It discussed how in the
period preceding the formation of the Communist Party of France certain leaders of the Committee of the III International
(B. Souvarine, F. Lorio) occupied a sectarian position toward the French Socialist Party as a whole and its members.
N. I. Bukharin — editor of "Pravda."

NOTE TO YA. I. NOVOMIRSKY

[October 16, 1920]
I fear that I shall not be able to.
What is the deadline?¹
1 Written on a note from Ya. I. Novomirsky, manager of the "Communist International" publishing house
in Petrograd, to V. I. Lenin of the following content:
"Given that No. 14 of the journal 'Communist International' is almost completely set in type, the editorial board
urgently requests that you give some article, since without it the forthcoming issue will be extremely pale and significantly
worse than the previous ones."
2 The response to V. I. Lenin's question about the deadline for submission of the article was: "October 19 and 20." The
same day V. I. Lenin wrote a letter to the editorial board of the journal "Communist International" (see V. I. Lenin, Complete
Works, vol. 51, p. 308).
On October 20, 1920 Lenin wrote the article "On the History of the Question of the Dictatorship," published on
November 9, 1920 in the journal "Communist International" No. 14 (see V. I. Lenin, Complete Works, vol. 41, pp. 369–391).

NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN
Comrade Chicherin! It would be better to keep Rothstein¹ in Moscow (he is
hardly a diplomat, and we need him here greatly), and send Kerzhentsev² to Stockholm
(having made an effort to send his sick wife there too: they will treat her
better there). Try to get Kerzhentsev to Stockholm.
If it is really impossible, then look for another³.
19/X [1920]
Lenin
1 F. A. Rothstein — chairman of the commission for the reform of higher education.
2 P. M. Kerzhentsev — from spring 1919 until the end of 1920 was the responsible head of ROSTA.
3 See the present collection, p. 263.

NOTES DURING A CONVERSATION WITH V. L. PANYUSHKIN

[October 21, 1920]
The district committee of the Bauman District (elected in X. 1920)
is not confirmed by the Moscow Committee
GMK says that this is1
Korzinov\ all opposition]
Kutuzov

# [PART 4/4] AND SO ON

I
f a) Pyatnitsky
 3 ))
х
Р
 
Myasnikov*
unhealthy!
I у) Bubnov*
Я
 
э
л
е
м
е
н
т
ы 
J 
| Intriguing | 
Г Blizniчenko
\ Andrey Emelyanych

1 The notes were written on the reverse of a letter from V. L. Panyushkin to V. I. Lenin requesting a meeting with him and A. A. Anokhin for a conversation.
In the text of Panyushkin's letter, V. I. Lenin underlines the word "Anokhin" with two lines.
V. L. Panyushkin — party member since 1907. In 1919-1920 worked in the apparatus of the CC RCP(b) as a responsible organizer and instructor.
Participant of the "Workers' Opposition," he headed the so-called "Panyushkin group," which later assumed the name "Workers' and Peasants' Socialist Party." In spring 1921 Panyushkin was expelled from the RCP(b). See also the present collection, p. 336.

2 The following is meant. On October 12, 1920 at a session of the bureau of the Moscow Committee of the RCP(b), the question was examined concerning the re-elections of a new district committee at a delegate assembly of the Bauman District on October 11, 1920. A decision was adopted: "1) the composition of the new district committee of the Bauman District is affirmed, except for Kutuzov and Korzinov, who had no right to be present at the assembly and put forth their candidacies for the district committee, since in accordance with the decision of the Moscow Committee of September 8 they had been transferred to another district and were obliged to sever all connections with the Bauman District. 2) To bring comrades Kutuzov and Korzinov before the party court for violation of party discipline" (Moscow Party Archive — MPA). The Party Court composed of P. G. Smidovich, M. I. Ulyanova, and F. E. Dzerzhinsky on October 19 decided: "To recognize comrades Kutuzov and Korzinov as acquitted of the charge of violating party discipline, but to point out to comrades Kutuzov and Korzinov that in the circumstances that arose they acted not as the party could have expected from old party comrades. The comrades should have energetically protested against the disloyal attitude of the district assembly toward the Moscow Committee and should not have allowed their election to the district committee" (MPA).

G. I. Korzinov — from 1918 to 1921 was a member of the Moscow Committee of the RCP(b) and a member of the Executive Committee of the Moscow Soviet. In 1920-1921, during the trade union discussion, he was affiliated with the anarcho-syndicalist group of E. Ignatov, which shared the anti-party views of the "Workers' Opposition."

I. I. Kutuzov — from 1918 was chairman of the Central Committee of the textile workers' union; from 1920 — member of the Presidium of the All-Russian Central Executive Committee. In 1920-1921 was affiliated with the anti-party group of the "Workers' Opposition."

3 I. A. Pyatnitsky — in 1919-1920 chairman of the united trade union of railroad workers (Tsekprofsozh), secretary of the Moscow Committee of the RCP(b).

4 G. I. Myasnikov — in 1921-1922 an active participant in the "Workers' Opposition" group.

5 A. S. Bubnov — in 1920-1921 was part of the opportunist group of "Democratic Centralism."

6 The surname "Blizniчenko" is written by V. I. Lenin at the bottom of the text of V. L. Panyushkin's letter.

A. E. Blizniчenko — from 1918 commissar of the Southern District of Transportation, deputy People's Commissar of Transportation of Ukraine.

---

NOTE TO MEMBERS OF THE POLITBURO OF THE CC RCP(b)
AND THE ORGANIZATIONAL BUREAU OF THE CC RCP(b)
AND AN INSTRUCTION TO THE SECRETARY

[October 21, 1920]

To the Members of the Politburo and Organizational Bureau

N B

It is necessary to ascertain the exact date
and send 1-2 CC members.
Put it on the agenda for Tuesday in the Politburo.
Lenin

I request you to circulate this to members of the Org. and Politburo, noting
their opinion here as well.

1 The published document was written during a session of the Politburo of the CC RCP(b) on October 21, 1920 in connection with a note from V. P. Milyutin, which reported on the elections taking place in Ukraine for the forthcoming party conference (the matter concerned the V Conference of the CP(b)U, which took place November 17-22, 1920 in Kharkov). Milyutin proposed sending representatives from the CC RCP(b) to the conference. The Politburo adopted a decision to instruct the Organizational Bureau of the CC RCP(b) at its next session to examine the question of the forthcoming Ukrainian party conference.

On October 25 the Organizational Bureau decided: it is expedient to send L. D. Trotsky to the conference and to oblige L. B. Kamenev to attend it.

On October 26 the Politburo of the CC RCP(b) affirmed the decision of the Organizational Bureau concerning L. D. Trotsky and rescinded the decision concerning L. B. Kamenev, replacing his representation at the conference with G. E. Zinoviev.

---

MARKS, UNDERLININGS ON A LETTER FROM A. V. LUNACHARSKY
AND A NOTE TO A. V. LUNACHARSKY

[End of October, not before October 21, 1920]

Dear V. I.

Gorky just told me with horror
Consult
with
Krestin-
that Zaks (the well-known Grzhebin man) is appoint-
sky
2 and eventuell * dis-
ed book dictator abroad.
cuss the text (draft) of the reso-
Of course, the Grzhebin affair will be ruined. I am
lution in the Politburo
interested in this first of all formally.

By a roundabout way, almost from outsiders, I learn —
"Zaks is appointed by Gosizdat abroad" —
"Eremeev is being restored as head."

Is that good? After all, I am constitutionally responsible. I ought to have been consulted. It should at least have been a warning to me! Meanwhile, when Gorky complained to you that in this respect the matter is as if without a master, you answered — "Lunacharsky is the master, so what is he looking at?!" This is bitter irony! Either take Gosizdat away from me, or accept its decisions, even if only with my knowledge! I told this to Comrade Krestinsky. He promises, but things go on as before.

The right of every commissar to submit a report to the Org. and
Politburo. And it must be obligatory. You are at fault for being asleep.

1 See also the present collection, pp. 264-265.

2 On November 1, 1920 A. V. Lunacharsky addressed a letter to the secretary of the CC RCP(b) N. N. Krestinsky requesting discussion of all questions concerning appointments in Gosizdat in his presence.

* — where possible.

---

AN ORDER TO THE SECRETARY

[October 22, 1920]

Send a reply to Piter by telegraph.
Send me a copy.

1 The order was written on the reverse of a telephonogram from the chairman of the Petrograd Commune A. S. Kuklin, which reported on the catastrophic situation with the supplying of workers, in view of the non-fulfillment by Narkomprod of the decree of the Council of People's Commissars concerning the provision of Petrograd with a ten-day supply of bread.

On the telephonogram there is a note from a member of the collegium of Narkomprod A. B. Khalatov stating that on October 23 forty cars of bread intended for Petrograd were received.

---

A NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

October 23, 1920

Comrade Chicherin!

The Politburo has reconsidered the question of Rotshtein and has decided to agree with him. So you can take him.

Yours, Lenin

1 On October 22, 1920 F. A. Rotshtein wrote to the CC RCP(b) a letter in which he requested to be sent to work abroad, in Stockholm.

On Rotshtein's letter V. I. Lenin wrote: "Comrade Trotsky! Cast your vote and pass it to Bukharin. I abstain, for I fear that forcibly you will not leave him here. October 22. Lenin."

The document bears the signatures of L. D. Trotsky and N. I. Bukharin indicating their agreement with F. A. Rotshtein.

Having written this note to G. V. Chicherin, Lenin made a notation on Rotshtein's letter: "Chicherin informed. To the CC archive. Brichkina."

By a decision of the Politburo of the CC RCP(b) on November 15, 1920 F. A. Rotshtein was appointed plenipotentiary representative of the RSFSR in Iran.

See also the present collection, p. 259.

---

A NOTE TO E. A. PREOBRAZHENSKYY

November 1, 1920

Comrade Preobrazhenskyy!

I enclose Gorky's letter. Return it with a few words, please.

Is it really true that Zaks was let loose from the State Publishing House?? After all, he will really ruin everything.

Yours, Lenin

1 The note from V. I. Lenin to a member of the collegium of Gosizdat and member of the CC RCP(b) E. A. Preobrazhenskyy concerned the following question. At sessions of the Organizational Bureau and Politburo of the CC RCP(b) on October 25 and 26, 1920 the request of Gosizdat to send S. M. Zaks-Gladnev abroad as a duly authorized representative of the publishing house for the printing of books abroad was examined.

A. M. Gorky supported the book publishing house of Z. I. Grzhebin abroad and sought to secure its financing and non-interference in its work. V. I. Lenin, who showed great attention to Gorky, was afraid, — as E. A. Preobrazhenskyy wrote in his commentary to this document, — that Comrade Zaks (Gladnev) would not be able to handle Grzhebin tactfully and would thereby also offend Gorky" (CPA IML at the CC CPSU).

A. M. Gorky's letter to V. I. Lenin is in the book: V. I. Lenin and A. M. Gorky. Letters, Memoirs, Documents. Moscow, 1969, pp. 206-207.

See also the present collection, p. 262 and the following document.

---

MARKS AND UNDERLININGS ON A LETTER FROM
E. A. PREOBRAZHENSKYY AND A NOTE
TO E. A. PREOBRAZHENSKYY

[November 1, 1920]

Vladimir Ilyich!

Regarding Gorky's letter I have the following to say:

I) At the CC we decided to organize our own publishing house abroad. Insofar as Zaks is going abroad independently of this decision, all objections against the person of Zaks in no way can shake the decision adopted, which is quite expedient. Ask Gorky whether he objects to the very idea of our own branch of Gosizdat abroad. If he objects, then the conclusions are clear.

II) We do not plan to liquidate immediately the already begun work of Grzhebin, but rather wish to make the private publishing house unnecessary once we have our own. With our own publishing house we will first of all be able to proceed to the release of professional-technical books and manuals, which are badly needed by Glavprofobr, Narkomzem, Narkomput and all the economic commissariats, as well as natural-scientific and medical publications.

III) Zaks is quite suitable for the foreign branch. In the extreme case he can be given an instruction not to enter into direct relations with Grzhebin, limiting his role to that of observer and informant with respect to the work of the former. His direct obligations and chief ones will consist in establishing our own publishing house.

IV) I applaud Gorky's assessment of Soykin.

E. Preobrazhenskyy

So, send me this i n s t r u c t i o n (no touching Grzhebin, do not interfere with him, etc., etc.). Send me the text of the instruction.

Lenin

1 See also the present collection, p. 262 and the previous document.

---

A DIRECTIVE ON THE SENDING OF M. I. GLÄSSER ON LEAVE

November 2, 1920

Directive

I hereby order Comrade Maria Ignatyevna Glässer to go on leave for a period of no less than 3 weeks.

Deputy. Council of People's Commissars V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

1 M. I. Glässer — assistant to the secretary of the Council of People's Commissars.

---

A NOTE TO I. N. BORISOV AND V. V. FOMIN

[November 6, 1920]

Why was it not submitted to the Council of Defense earlier?

1 The note was written under the text of a telephonogram from the chief of the Main Administration of Transportation of the People's Commissariat of Transportation I. N. Borisov and the commissar of that same administration V. V. Fomin to Narkomprod and other agencies (a copy — to the chairman of the Council of Labor and Defense V. I. Lenin) with information that the agencies were not timely shipping the cargoes that had arrived for them and thus were creating difficulties in ensuring the railway junction with rolling stock.

In the telephonogram it was pointed out that "in the Moscow junction alone on November 8 there were up to 4,000 cars of unloaded cargo, chiefly intended for various institutions of Narkomprod, Narkómvoen and the Supreme Council of the National Economy, with an average unloading of about 1,300 cars daily from previous arrivals." Against the underlined words Lenin placed a question mark in the margin.

In response to V. I. Lenin's note V. V. Fomin reported: "A copy was sent to you and this is a guarantee that Narkomprod is pulling up. I was told today that unloading has increased significantly. We have almost finished transporting the potatoes."

After acquainting himself with Fomin's reply, Lenin writes on the telephonogram: "to the archive."

---

MARKS AND UNDERLININGS ON A LIST OF BOOKS
AND PAMPHLETS RECEIVED FROM ABROAD,
AND A NOTE TO SH. M. MANUCHATYANTS

Return*

LIST OF BOOKS AND PAMPHLETS
RECEIVED FROM ABROAD AS OF NOVEMBER 8, 1920

Author | Title | Publisher | Year of Pub. | Place of Print.
Claudio Treves | Crisi ed espiazione | Soc. Ed. "Avanti" | 1920 | Milano
Virginio Carnevali | Tedue maggiori sintesi | Libr. Ed. sociali "Avanti" | | 
Filippo Turati | Il voto alla donna e le salariate dell'amore | Soc. Ed. "Avanti" | 1920 | 
E. A. Fileni | Presso il letto di morte di un socialista | | | 
Bottoni Enrico | Storie piane e storie strane | Libr. Ed. "Avanti" | | 
Italo Toscani | Burocrazia e proletariato | Soc. Ed. "Avanti" | 1919 | 

Written by V. I. Lenin on the first page of the list.

Author | Title | Publisher | Year of Pub. | Place of Print.
G. M. Serrati | Dottrinetta razionalista | Soc. Ed. "Avanti" | 1920 | Milano
Bertelli, Mattia, Badaloni | Biel Dolt. | | | 
Bruno Fortichiari | Ai conservatori in buona fede | | | 
| Ilsocialismocalunniato | | | 
| Il partito del Pane | | | 
| Il socialismo per tutti | | | 
| Lettere a te che leggi | | | 
Alfonso Leonetti | Dalle ingiustizie presenti al socialismo | Soc. Ed. "Avanti" | | 
Han Rymer | Il veleno | Initiative edizione d'avanguardia | | 
Ilio Tirsi | Per un po' piu di sole | Libr. Ed. "Avanti" | | 
Leda Rafanelli | Lavoratori! | Libr. Ed. Soc. | | 
Virb | La storia sacra spiegata al giovinetti | Soc. Ed. "Avanti" | | 
Ilio Tirsi | Fratello, non tradire! | | | 
| Ai coscritti! | Libr. Ed. "Avanti" | | 
| Quello che ci divide | | | 
Mariano Mandolini | Evoluzione a Guerra | Soc. Ed. "Avanti" | 1920 | 
Pietro Gori | Alla conquista dell'avvenire | | | 
Paolo Valera | La catastrofe degli czars | Libr. Ed. "Avanti" | | 
Edoardo Barchi | I Socialisti chi sono e che cosa vogliono | Soc. Ed. "Avanti" | 1920 | 
I. T. Walton Newbold | Now Europe armed for war (1871-1914) | Blackfriars Press Limited | | London
William G. Bullitt | The Bullitt Mission to Russia | B. W. Huebsch | | New York City
A. Lozowzky (S. A. Dridzo) | The Int. Council of trade and industrial Unions | P. The Ind. Council of tr. Un. | | Christiania
William D. Hay | Evidence and Cross Examination of the case of the U S A Committee | | | Chicago
Communist Unity Convention | The Com. Party of Great Britain | | | London
Ralph Chaplin | The Centralia conspiracy | I. W. W. Pub. Bureau | | Chicago
| The onward sweep of the machine proceeds | I. W. W. | | 
| The greatest thing on Earth | I. W. W. | | 
| Songs of the workers | I. W. W. | | 

Please
send me
the underlined
I t a l i a n
and
E n g l i s h
pamphlets.
November 9 [1920]
Lenin

---

A NOTE TO THE SMALL COUNCIL OF PEOPLE'S COMMISSARS

To the Small Soviet:

(a) It is necessary to check the work
(b) to summon representatives of backward agencies
(c) to submit to the Council of People's Commissars a draft decree and measures.

November 21 [1920]
Lenin

1 Written after V. I. Lenin became acquainted with the "Report on the Activity of the Inter-Agency Metric Commission from the moment of its transfer to the jurisdiction of the Scientific-Technical Department of the Supreme Council of the National Economy (from June 7 to November 1, 1920)."

After discussion of the report at a session of the Small Council of People's Commissars on December 3, 1920, a decision was adopted: to summon to the session of the Council on December 17 representatives of the People's Commissariat of Transportation, the People's Commissariat of Education, Narkomprod, the Scientific-Technical Department of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, and Komgosoora for a report on work regarding the implementation of the metric system of measures and weights.

On December 17 the Small Council of People's Commissars, with the participation of representatives of a number of agencies, examined this question and adopted a decision: to oblige all people's commissariats within three months to submit to the inter-agency metric commission worked-out concrete measures for the introduction of the metric system.

---

A NOTE TO V. P. MILYUTIN

[Not before November 23, not after December 6, 1920]

1) Regarding forest concessions in the north of European Russia add:
18.7 million desyatinas from several
and in total forests so much (there)
page 13, line 5-6 from below

2) with major firms one of the largest capitalist countries and preliminary drafts of agreements have been written.

1 The note to V. P. Milyutin, deputy chairman of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, contains remarks written after V. I. Lenin became acquainted with the text of a pamphlet being prepared for publication: "On Concessions. Decree of the Council of People's Commissars of November 23, 1920. Text of the Decree. Objects of Concessions. Maps."

In the published pamphlet V. I. Lenin's remarks were taken into account.

Other remarks of V. I. Lenin on this pamphlet are found in Coll. Works, vol. 52, p. 18.

---

AN EXCHANGE OF NOTES WITH N. N. KRESTINSKY

[December 8, 1920]

Your impression of Pavel Gorbunov and your conclusion regarding his candidacy?

I have spoken with both him and Nikolay Gorbunov (the former secretary). I prefer in the Administration of Affairs of the Council of People's Commissars Nikolay (the former secretary) and I ask the Organizational Bureau to give me Nikolay, appointing Pavel Gorbunov to another position. 

I do not know Nikolay Gorbunov now after military work; previously, however, he seemed to me a sluggish, uninitiative, non-administrative person, not capable of establishing order in an unsettled matter. What assessment do you give him now?

I have not seen him for a long time; I think that in military work he has tightened up and learned.  Besides, we will give him an assistant for economic affairs.

Put it on the agenda of the Organizational Bureau.

1 The correspondence with the secretary of the CC RCP(b) N. N. Krestinsky was conducted during a session of the plenum of the CC RCP(b) on December 8, 1920, at which V. I. Lenin's request to appoint N. P. Gorbunov manager of affairs of the Council of People's Commissars was examined.

V. I. Lenin's petition was granted.

On December 11, 1920 the Council of People's Commissars affirmed the candidacy of N. P. Gorbunov.

2 P. P. Gorbunov was appointed manager of affairs of the secretariat of the CC RCP(b).

3 N. P. Gorbunov — in 1919-1920 was at the front, was a member of the Revolutionary War Council of the 14th and 13th armies.

---

A LETTER TO L. P. SEREBRYAKOV

[December 8, 1920]

Comrade Serebryakov:

My proposals (by no means finally decided, but only provisional, preliminary, thoughts aloud) regarding the NKPS:

1) Appoint Kovylkin as Commissar. Free Krasin from the NKPS.

2) For the collegium of the NKPS take Fomin and Lomonosov only.

3) From Lomonosov take a written obligation not to change anything either in the system or in Trotsky's decisions and not to remove the commander-in-chief, that is, Borisov.

4) From Kovylkin take the same kind of obligation limiting his power (something like Lunacharsky) and promise.

Lenin

1 In the letter to the secretary of the CC RCP(b) L. P. Serebryakov the matter concerns the proposed reorganization of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Transportation. On December 23, 1919 L. B. Krasin was appointed Commissar of Transportation. In connection with his departure abroad, L. D. Trotsky was confirmed by decision of the Council of People's Commissars on March 20, 1920 as acting commissar.

On December 9, 1920 the question of the collegium of the NKPS was discussed at a session of the plenum of the CC RCP(b). A decision was adopted: "To affirm as Commissar Comrade Emshanov, Deputy Commissar Comrade Fomin, as members of the collegium Comrades Rudogo and Bovin. Regarding the inclusion in the collegium of Comrade Borisov, to instruct Comrades Serebryakov and Rudzutak first to question the newly affirmed members of the collegium and other comrades knowledgeable about him, reporting the results of the questioning to the Politburo" (CPA IML at the CC CPSU).

On December 11, 1920 the Council of People's Commissars on the question of the collegium of Narkomputi decided: to request the All-Russian Central Executive Committee to release Krasin from the position of Commissar of Transportation, appointing Emshanov as commissar, to appoint as members of the collegium Fomin, Rudogo and Bovin. To affirm Fomin as deputy commissar.

2 S. T. Kovylkin — member of the collegium of the NKPS.

3 V. V. Fomin — commissar of the Main Administration of Transportation and member of the collegium of the NKPS.

Yu. V. Lomonosov — member of the collegium of the NKPS.

4 I. N. Borisov — chief of the Main Administration of Transportation of the NKPS.

5 A. V. Lunacharsky — People's Commissar of Education. To strengthen the collegium of Narkompros by decision of the plenum of the CC RCP(b) on December 8, 1920 at the proposal of V. I. Lenin, the post of assistant commissar with broad authority was created. To this post V. I. Lenin proposed the appointment of E. A. Litkens.

On January 31, 1921 by decision of the Small Council of People's Commissars E. A. Litkens was appointed second deputy commissar of education with the granting to him of the right of decisive vote in the Council of People's Commissars in cases of the absence of the commissar of education and his first deputy.

On February 2, 1921 the question of the appointment of E. A. Litkens as second deputy commissar of education was resolved by the CC RCP(b) (see the present collection, p. 284).

---

A PROPOSAL TO THE CC RCP(b)

[December 9, 1920]

In my opinion:

1) permit publication;

2) reserve first priority for Goelro and the commissariats;

3) if under these conditions it doesn't come out, send to Piter;

4) query all members of the CC or Politburo.

Lenin*

1 The document was written in connection with a telephonogram to the secretary of the CC RCP(b) N. N. Krestinsky from the deputy chief of Gosizdat D. L. Veise, in which he reported that the Moscow Committee of the RCP(b) requests permission for urgent publication before the forthcoming VIII Congress of Soviets of a collection of articles and speeches from the leader of the anti-party group of "Democratic Centralism" T. V. Sapronov. At the same time the directive commission of Gosizdat drew attention to the fact that a significant number of reports and materials for the Congress from various Soviet institutions and party organs are being received only now, which is leading to extreme overloading of the printing shops and disorganizing their work.

When all CC members were polled, the majority spoke in favor of publishing the collection.

The following telephonogram was sent to Gosizdat to Veise, signed by N. N. Krestinsky, reporting the support of the CC RCP(b) for the request of the Moscow Committee of the RCP(b) for publication of a collection of articles by T. V. Sapronov with the condition that this does not prevent the timely release of all GOELRO (State Commission for the Electrification of Russia) publications, publications from the commissariats and the CC RCP(b).

* The document is also signed by I. V. Stalin.

---

NOTES DURING A CONVERSATION WITH A. E. BADAEV

[December 10 or 11, 1920]

B a d a e v

1) Unite the Moscow and Petrograd

2) vegetable farming, land, dairy farms near Moscow.
Set aside
a part for the Moscow Consumer Society (Badaev)
(Kamenev — in favor)
The majority of the presidium — in favor of the gubzem
department

December 10, 1920

3) Closing of Suharevka
(can and must be closed)
unanimous resolution of the assembly of all Moscow
trade union boards
December 8

Speak with Kamenev

P u t i t o n t h e a g e n d a o f t h e C o u n c i l
o f P e o p l e ' s C o m m i s s a r s

With Doctor Solovyev: a good doctor (heart, stomach) for
Badaev.

1 The notes were written during a conversation of V. I. Lenin with A. E. Badaev, chairman of the Moscow Consumer Commune.

V. I. Lenin was given a memorandum written by Badaev entitled "Fundamentals of the Unification of the Food Organs of Petrograd and Moscow" dated November 15, 1920, in which the question was raised concerning the unification of the consumer societies of Petrograd and Moscow (food consumer communes were created by a decree of the Council of People's Commissars on March 16, 1919).

2 The aforementioned resolution, adopted on December 8, 1920 at a plenum of the Moscow Federation of Trade Unions on a report by A. E. Badaev, in which it was proposed that the Moscow Consumer Commune proceed with the complete liquidation of Suharevka and other points of free trade, was sent to V. I. Lenin by A. E. Badaev on December 11, 1920.

On the same day V. I. Lenin included in the agenda of the Council of People's Commissars an addition: "On the Destruction of Suharevka" and made a statement at the session concerning A. E. Badaev's petition on this question.

After discussion the Council of People's Commissars decided to instruct the Small Council, with the participation of representatives from the presidium of the Moscow Soviet, the Moscow Extraordinary Commission, Narkomprod and the Provincial Federation of Trade Unions, within a week to examine the question of the destruction of Suharevka and to develop an appropriate draft.

On December 17 the Small Council of People's Commissars adopted a decision: in view of the adoption by the presidium of the Moscow Soviet of real measures for the destruction of Suharevka, to consider this particular question settled.

Against the third point there is a secretarial notation: "Executed by the Secretariat."

3 Z. P. Solovyev — chief of the Main Military-Sanitary Administration of the Red Army.

4 After the word "Badaev" there is a notation by the secretary's hand: "executed (Secretary Semashko agreed to speak with Solovyev and Badaev)."

---

A NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

Comrade Chicherin! I request you to discuss: 1) whether to send all this to Krasin; 2) or more cautiously to release part of it; 3) by telegraph or by letter (perhaps the essence by telegraph).

Return the original, please, to me.

December 16 [1920]
Lenin

1 The document was written on the draft of a response to L. B. Krasin, chairman of the Soviet trade delegation in London, drawn up by A. G. Goikhbarg at V. I. Lenin's request (see V. I. Lenin. Coll. Works, vol. 52, p. 33).

The draft communicated the results of calculations by A. G. Goikhbarg, to whom was entrusted the checking and completion of the work of V. G. Groman's commission.

For more details about Groman's commission see the present collection, p. 253.

---

AN ORDER TO THE SECRETARIES

[1920]

Check execution by telephone, record exactly when it was completed.

1 The order was written on a memorandum signed by the acting chairman of the Main Committee of State Construction K. A. Alferov to Chusosnabarmu and to Narkomprod requesting to release in first priority to Prodstroy in Moscow three cars of bread and other products for distribution among workers of the Main Committee of State Construction according to norms for railroad workers with the goal of ensuring the fulfillment of "operational assignments from the Center."

---

A NOTE TO A. D. TSYURUPA

[1920]

You have become kind and pliant. Really, this won't do.

1 Written on a note from the Commissar of Food A. D. Tsyurupa: "I fear that you do not see the threat. We will be ruined! In the field of food supply we are moving inexorably toward collapse. We must save ourselves."

---

A NOTE TO AN UNIDENTIFIED ADDRESSEE

[End of 1920 — beginning of 1921]

A stupid report from the commander-in-chief
about
the Caucasus . . . We are occupied with politics, but we could not
surround Makhno.

How many divisions in total will be on the Caucasus?

1 The matter concerns a report from the commander-in-chief S. S. Kamenev with considerations regarding the military-political consequences of events in the Caucasus.

2 N. I. Makhno — leader of anarchist-kulak detachments in Ukraine, who fought against Soviet power in 1918-1921.

---

# YEAR 1921

A LETTER TO S. P. SEREDA

January 1, 1921

Comrade Sereda

(in case of his illness to Muralov, Theodorovitch, Kuraev)

Comrade Smirnov, chairman of the Siberian Revolutionary Committee, says that 500,000 resettlers have been placed upon them. He can take 100,000.

He says that Radus-Zenkovitch (chairman of the Kirghiz Council of People's Commissars) does not want to take resettlers, but should — must — take many.

He is leaving tonight (January 1, 1921).

Without fail speak with Radus-Zenkovitch today and reach an exact agreement.

Lenin

1 S. P. Sereda — People's Commissar of Agriculture.

2 N. I. Muralov — member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture.

I. A. Theodorovitch — member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture.

V. V. Kuraev — member of the collegium of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture.

3 The question of regulating the resettlement of peasants was discussed at a session of the Council of People's Commissars on June 15, 1920. In accordance with the decision of the Council of People's Commissars, a telephonogram was sent to the Siberian Revolutionary Committee and provincial executive committees of producing provinces signed by V. I. Lenin and S. P. Sereda offering to clarify the possibilities for accommodating resettlers and to report to Narkozemall necessary information (see V. I. Lenin. Coll. Works, vol. 51, pp. 343-344).

---

A NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

To Chicherin:

Is it not time to propose Vorovsky?

January 2 [1921]
Lenin

1 Written on a telephonogram from the plenipotentiary of the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs and the People's Commissariat of Foreign Trade in Germany V. L. Kopp. The latter reported that, according to information received by him from Rome, the Italian government objected to the appointment of Ya. A. Berzin as trade representative in Italy, inasmuch as in 1918 the Swiss government had expelled him from the country, where he was serving as plenipotentiary.

Having underlined the text of Kopp's telephonogram with two vertical lines, V. I. Lenin wrote: "NB."

2 On January 3 G. V. Chicherin informed V. I. Lenin that the candidacy of V. V. Vorovsky had long ago been proposed and the Italian government had agreed to accept him. "The question can only be," wrote Chicherin, "whether we should already declare to the Italians our rejection of the candidacy of Comrade Berzin and our agreement to appoint Comrade Vorovsky." On Chicherin's letter there is a notation by Lenin: "to the archive" (CPA IML at the CC CPSU).

On March 12, 1921 the trade mission of the RSFSR headed by V. V. Vorovsky arrived in Rome.

---

AN ORDER TO N. P. GORBUNOV

[January 4 or 5, 1921]

To N. P. Gorbunov: Clarify with Lezhava what the matter is here.

Is it not time to break with the Swedes?

Lenin

1 Written on a telephonogram from Stockholm from Yu. V. Lomonosov, plenipotentiary of the Council of People's Commissars for railroad orders abroad, in which he communicated the text of his cable sent to London to L. B. Krasin. In it Lomonosov wrote that Swedish firms that had accepted Soviet railroad orders were refusing to fulfill them, demanding a change in payment terms, and he proposed to agree with the demands of the firms.

On January 5, 1921 the deputy People's Commissar of Foreign Trade A. M. Lezhava cabled to L. B. Krasin that he was leaving entirely to him the decision of the question regarding the Swedish concern, and added that he would consider it appropriate to give a positive response.

---

A NOTE TO N. P. GORBUNOV

[1921, January, not before the 14th]

Comrade Gorbunov!

I request you to consult with whoever is necessary
( N K I D )
( V Ch K )
( e t c. )
and attempt to settle the matter.

Lenin

1 The document was written on the text of a letter from A. Lomov (G. I. Opokov), member of the presidium of the Supreme Council of the National Economy, chairman of the Main Forestry Committee. He wrote that the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs is systematically delaying the entry of representatives of foreign firms conducting negotiations about concessions. Lomov asked V. I. Lenin to "give a general directive to Narkominid — to permit entry without hindrance to persons invited by us from abroad to conduct negotiations about concessions" (underlined by V. I. Lenin).

---

A NOTE TO G. V. CHICHERIN

Comrade Chicherin! I received this in the attached envelope. Who is this? Be highly conspiratorial and find out, please, who this is and how I should proceed.

January 29 [1921]
Lenin

1 The matter concerns a letter from M. L. Levin from Vienna dated December 31, 1920, in which he asked V. I. Lenin to render him assistance in traveling to Russia.

M. L. Levin — one of the founders of the Communist Party of Bavaria; member of the Communist Party of Germany. In 1921 Levin came to Moscow. In late 1921 V. I. Lenin had a conversation with M. L. Levin about the Bavarian Soviet Republic of 1919 and the policy of the Communist Party of Bavaria in that period.

---

A TELEPHONOGRAM TO A. I. RYKOV
AND AN ORDER TO THE SECRETARY

[January 29, 1921]

Comrade Rykov. Would it not be better to consult now with the CC members? Perhaps it would be possible to straightaway eliminate the misunderstandings? Of course, unity is necessary, and I am certain that Trotsky will agree with this. It is necessary here and now to eliminate the division (or "subdivision"), otherwise the commission threatens to fall apart. I am occupied in a CC commission on the People's Commissariat of Education. Would it not be a good idea to turn to Stalin, Krestinsky, and Kamenev?

Lenin

Both telephonograms to Stalin and Kamenev by telephone.

1 The document was written on the following telephonogram of January 29, 1921:

"Comrades Lenin, Trotsky, Zinoviev, Stalin.

Nothing is coming out of our participation in the Ural Commission of the Council of Labor and Defense. Trotsky is traveling in his own train through Samara, Chelyabinsk, Ekaterinburg. Zinoviev in his own — when is unknown, from Petrograd. We are offered to attach ourselves to some train and catch up. We do not count on catching up by such a system, any more than we count on obtaining from such a journey, in the absence of even one conference to define the tasks, composition of staff, approximate determination of time, place and system of work (the Urals is not at all an unknown country), results corresponding to the interests of the matter.

The main transportation commission wants to go separately and again upset the whole Urals. We earnestly request of our delegation (Syromolotov, Glavtop, Glavugol, Glavleskam, Main Transportation Commission) to provide a special train with an indication of where and when the commission of the Council of Labor and Defense will begin work or to permit us to refrain from participation in the work and to free us and our representatives from responsibility.

Rykov, Lomov, Syromolotov, Bogdanov, Eismont."

The Ural plenipotentiary commission was created by decision of the Council of Labor and Defense on January 28, 1921 "for the purpose of creating on the Urals conditions most favorable for the metallurgical and fuel-extracting industry (from the standpoint of coordinated work of various institutions, housing, provision of food, transport means, labor force, etc.)" (CPA IML at the CC CPSU).

On the document there are notations by I. V. Stalin and L. B. Kamenev about the necessity of unity among commission members and the coordinated organization of the journey.